Seahills Strawberries
Hailing from Seahills Farm in Arbroath, it is the special seaside, “Goldie-locks” climate that makes for these exceptional quality strawberries.
Hailing from Seahills Farm in Arbroath, it is the special seaside, “Goldie-locks” climate that makes for these exceptional quality strawberries.
Provender Brown is one of a handful of local stockists of the outstanding Seahills Strawberries and with Scottish berry season upon us - our first delivery of 2023 is expected 12th April - we thought we'd introduce you to the truly unique seaside farm that provides us with these juicy seasonal fruits.
Hailing from Seahills Farm in Arbroath, we are assured by farmer, Peter Stirling, that it is the special seaside, “Goldielocks” climate that makes for these exceptional quality strawberries.
Seahills Farm is located on the East Coast of Scotland, a few miles north of Arbroath, next to the historic village of Auchmithie. The farm is around 400 acres and extends to the cliffs and seaside beaches. Peter and his expert team are dedicated to producing the finest Scottish fruit and veg - in winter they do sprouts - while continually enhancing the farm’s relationship with nature.
It may surprise you to know that Sea Hills is based in one of the sunniest places in Scotland, allowing the strawberries to enjoy additional sunlight reflected off the sea, making them extra sweet. Coupled with this, the farm is far enough North to keep the strawberries cool in the summer, so they grow nice and big and are firmer with a longer shelf-life.
This winning combination of location and weather also brings with it cool nights which stops the strawberries respiring and losing sugar and sweetness overnight.
Over the last 30 years Peter and the team have focused on creating the optimum environment to enhance all that Mother Nature has blessed them with and they take their role in the environment as seriously as they take their soft fruit production.
“By producing homegrown strawberries we are replacing the need for imported fruits which have a higher carbon footprint and this is the first step in helping the environment. In addition, our greenhouses are heated with renewable biomass energy, not fossil fuels and our coastal temperate climate also benefits from reduced pests and diseases providing us with naturally healthier berries.
“To achieve the highest quality strawberries you have to strive for the optimum environment for the crop. This led us to start growing strawberries in climate-controlled greenhouses, with computers and sensors which provide feed and water whenever required by the strawberry plants."
Seahills is a magical place with SSSI status (Site of Special Scientific Interest), being a haven to many rare flora and fauna along its cliffs and beaches. The sea is home to dolphins and porpoises, its waves skimmed by puffins and sea birds, while Robert Louis Stevenson’s Bell Rock Lighthouse sits on the horizon.
“The sea dominates our farm both visually and climatically. It provides our unique setting enabling us to produce exceptional quality produce.
“We’re also home to much in the way of nature and wildlife. We are continually adding to and improving our diverse habitat to encourage wildlife to thrive. We provide a home to many animals including roe deer, foxes, badgers, rabbits and hares. Seahills is a favourite bird watcher’s destination with a myriad of rare and threatened bird species.”
Around 20% of Seahills has been dedicated to providing diverse wildlife habitat areas and it has now become an important haven for the threatened corn bunting and the small blue butterfly. Seahills is also home to Puffins in summer and has a breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons.
Seahills Farm is working closely with the RSPB, who advise on habitat seed mixes and monitor and catalogue the growing diversity of our bird and insect species. We have now created many bespoke habitat areas which help regenerate threatened species.
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