Berry farm vacancies 2021

Yes, the government has classified workers under ‘food and other necessary goods’ as key workers. This includes people involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food. This means as a key worker you are able to travel to and from work, and your children may still be able to attend their local school.

Unfortunately not, but as farm workers are classed as key workers, children should be able to go to their school while you are working

Picking is now performed standing up so you stand at a trolley and pick the fruit into punnets rather than bending down or working on the floor but a level of fitness is required.

For most roles, including fruit picking, previous experience is not required and training is given by the farms.

You need to discuss this with the farm you’re applying to. Workers can live on the farm or travel in daily depending on your particular circumstances and the farm’s situation. All farms have good standards of accommodation which may be available to workers. They are usually permanent caravan style accommodation sleeping three or four people per unit. The charge for the accommodation is set at a maximum of £57.40 per week, making it good value compared to private sector.

Once you have found a job you are interested in, contact the farm using the contact details on the pin. They will then advise you of the recruitment process and next steps.

All farms are following government guidelines on social distancing for those working on farms, please ask for details from any prospective employer if you wish to obtain more information.

Groups living in an on-farm caravan or cabin together can be treated a household for social distancing purposes and can live and work together on a farm. If one member of the group becomes ill with COVID-19 then the others in the group will have to self-isolate as well, just as any other household would do.

The duration of each job depends on the role and the farm. Each farm has given a timeframe for roles when you click on their pin, but it’s best to check duration with each farm about each the specific role you’re interested in.

Ideally farms will be looking for people who can work a full working week but days and hours can vary by farm, so please check with the farm you are interested in working at

Please check with individual farms as it will depend on the space and facilities they have available

Our understanding is that furloughed workers can take on another job whilst they are retained on furlough and being paid by their employer, as long as their contact with their current employer allows it or their employer agrees it.

Please check with individual farms whether they offer volunteer positions

Yes, you would usually need to be at least 18 years old to work on our farms, but there may be roles for 16 to 18-year-olds depending on the farm.

Farms usually pick and pack fruit from first thing in the morning until mid-afternoon. Packing is often done in shifts and can carry on until later in the day. Farms will usually offer a full working week and often overtime as well if wanted. It’s important you discuss start/finish times and hours with the directly farm you apply to.

Fruit picking – working outside in the fields, picking fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or cherries. Picking is now mostly performed standing up so you stand at a trolley and pick the fruit into punnets rather than bending down.

Fruit packing – working in a packhouse to sort fruit and pack into punnets/boxes, ready for distribution. A certain level of manual handling will be required, but training will be given.

Plant husbandry – this is all about keeping plants and farms healthy, including planting, weeding, plant management and maintenance.

Forklift drivers, tractor drivers and van drivers – farms may also have vacancies for these types of workers.

Pay varies depending on the specific job role, but hourly pay is underpinned by the national living wage or the national minimum wage and many jobs have a productivity bonus too. This means typical hourly pay ranges from £9.00 to £11.00 per hour and can be higher with earnings of up to £14 per hour being achievable for some staff.

For roles where it is required, full training will be given.