UK fruit farmer granted Freedom of the City of London

A South Herefordshire fruit farmer has been granted the Freedom of the City of London. Anthony Snell, who farms at Windmill Hill in Harewood End, was elected last October to the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, which aims to promote the interests of the fruit industry.

Last week he travelled to London to receive the honorary freedom of the city and is due to become a Liveryman of the company in June. Mr Snell said it was a great honour and added: "I like it because I can represent Herefordshire and the Midlands and promote the fruit industry and Herefordshire.

"In Herefordshire we produce 50 percent of all horticultural produce from the whole of the West Midlands. The county is a very important part in the production of fruit and veg."

Herefordtimes.com tells us how Mr Snell farms about 450 acres in partnership with his wife Christine. Their crops include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and blackcurrants for supermarket retail, frozen individually quick-frozen retail and processing.

The farm produces more than 1,000 tonnes of strawberries, 300 tonnes of raspberries, and 800 tonnes of blackcurrants, with packing, freezing and processing facilities on site in the centre of production.