Scottish Honeyberry Growers
Scottish Honeyberry Growers is the UK’s first co-operative dedicated to growing and marketing honeyberries.
The co-operative is made up of eight Scottish farmers who have come together to build knowledge and expertise around this new exciting berry. Honeyberries are predominantly grown in central eastern Scotland; however, they can also be found across Scotland from the Scottish Borders all the way to the Highlands.
We spoke to Scottish Honeyberry Growers to find out more about these innovative berries and how they came to be in Scotland.
How would you describe honeyberries and what makes them so unique?
Honeyberries are a member of the honeysuckle family (edible honeysuckle) and look like a long blueberry. They are purple the whole way through and are packed with antioxidants, anthocyanin, polyphenols and vitamin C.
What were some of the initial challenges when first bringing honeyberries to Scotland and how did you overcome these?
Honeyberries originate from Northern Japan and are very new to the UK. The biggest challenge is that no one knows what they are so education is a large piece of what we do.
Has anything changed in the way you grow over the years?
Yes, we have adapted the way we grow and harvest our berries and also how we pollinate them with the bumble and masonry bees (it's too cold in late February for the honey bees to fly).
What new technologies or methods have you adopted recently to improve berry production and quality?
We water and feed our berry bushes micronutrients and seaweeds to keep them strong and healthy.
How do you blend tradition with innovation?
We keep it simple and we use modern freeze drying methods to preserve our berries.
What does innovation mean for your business?
Innovation means everything to our business, without it we could not grow, harvest or produce our honeyberry products. Innovation enables growth and diversity in our food and drink landscape.
Image Credits: Scottish Honeyberry Growers
