Mitchell Fruit Garden
Cornish Mutual Members Jeremy and Claudia Best run Mitchell Fruit Garden, a traditional pick your own in central Cornwall producing a wide array of fruit including strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries.
After gaining experience as a student on a large
pick your own in Warwickshire, Jeremy moved to Cornwall in 1976,
becoming a Member of Cornish Mutual shortly after. "I took out my
first policy in 1977 and have been insuring with Cornish Mutual
ever since".
Jeremy immediately began offering his own fruit produce on site at
Mitchell in what was a golden age for the pick your own industry.
"In the mid 70's pick your own was booming and you really couldn't
go wrong, however the increasing influence of supermarkets has seen
the end of that sort of thing" Jeremy explained.
The farm supplies local retail shops and wholesalers throughout
the year with work not just confined to the busy summer months,
when up to 20 people are employed on site, "It literally takes
months of pruning, planting, cleaning and rotating the ground to
get everything ready" Jeremy says.
The local nature and the freshness of the berries from Mitchell
Fruit Garden have made them stand out from supermarket offerings;
"People have become more conscious of the carbon footprint
associated with their food - our produce appears in Newquay with a
sign saying "Footprint 5 miles" says Jeremy. "There is also an
emphasis on freshness. We can guarantee everything picked here
today is available to purchase tomorrow, which no supermarket can
offer".
Cornish Mutual provides Mitchell Fruit Garden and Jeremy with Commercial
Combined and Motor Insurance cover. "If anything goes wrong or
you need help you can just give them a ring. We have been really
happy with our Insurance Inspector Paul Hawkins, he takes a very
active approach to his job and it is nice to see someone and speak
face to face" Jeremy adds.
Insurance Inspector Paul says "It's great to be able to offer a
local personal service to Members who are offering high quality,
fresh and local produce - something that is becoming harder to
find. By living locally if they ever require any insurance advice I
can visit within days and fully understand their needs".
Mitchell Fruit Garden is found just off the A30 dual carriageway
at Mitchell.
