Planting begins...

After National service, Willie Porter first (hand) planted 2 acres of strawberries. They travelled in an open lorry and sold at the Manchester fruit market.

1964

Business going well...

Willie Porters strawberries did so well, he trebled up for the next two years. Most of the fruit travelled again in an open lorry to the Manchester Fruit market, but some travelled on the fish train to London Covent Garden.

1965 to 1966

Gone travelling...

After a 2 year working holiday, where James Gray was farming around the world, he decided to plant 30 acres of raspberries. The crop did exceptionally well and was sold to the Manchester fruit market and some other fruit markets in England.

1975

Strawberries planted...

After seeing the success of his raspberry crops, James started growing strawberries.

1978

Lochy takes over East Seaton

After his formal education and working on a farm in South Island of New Zealand, Lochy Porter took over the tenancy over the farm from his father in 1991. He recognised that there were great changes happening in the soft fruit industry, whereby supermarkets were taking a keen interest alongside the growing techniques were becoming ever more sophisticated. Lochy felt that growing soft fruit was the most interesting crop over all his other crops and cattle. Growing soft fruit in Scotland was a point of difference and allowed him to speak directly to retailers and hence Angus Soft Fruits was created.

1991

Angus Soft Fruits Established

Angus Soft Fruits Ltd. was established in 1994 with the ambition to sell fruit directly to retailers and continually improve the product available to consumers.

1994

Seaton System Developed

The Seaton System was developed by David Griffiths

2001

First R&D Innovation Site established.

The first Angus Research and Development Innovation Site established.

2002

Angus Soft Fruits launch the first UK grown Premium Berry, AVA.

2003

Angus Growers Ltd. a soft fruit producer organisation & Angus Soft Fruit form an agency agreement to supply fruit to the major supermarkets.

2003

Good Natured Fruit was launched.

2005

Baby AVA Brand was launched

2008

Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards

Good Natured wins the Fruit Category

2008

Good Natured wins a Quality Food Award

2009

Angus Soft Fruits opens Evesham Office, Orchard Farm

2010

Scotland Food and Drink awards Good Natured with the Marketing Initiave of the Year (2 years in a row!!)

2010

Winners of the Environmentally Sustainability Award at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards

2011

Launch of Angus Select Brand

2014

AVA Berries Brand Launched

2015

New Premises at Sandbrook Grounds for Angus Soft Fruits Breeding Programme

2016

Award Winners!

AVA™ Star strawberry has won the top prize in the ‘best new edible crop variety’ category. Horticulture week – Business awards 2018”
Winner of ‘Own Label Supplier of the Year’, Co-Op and Scotmid Scottish Supplier Awards
Winner of “Fresh Produce Grower/ Supplier of the year” in UK’s Fruit & Vegetable Awards (FPJ)

2018

Award Winners!

Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) Fresh Awards. winning the coveted Foodservice Supplier of the Year Award.
Wholesale or Foodservice Supplier of the year ‘ FPJ Live
Best Marketing or Digital Initiative for AVABerries summer experiential campaign

2019