About Us

Welcome to The Dorset Blueberry Company.

1951
Introduced
Britain's First Blueberries

My grandfather David Trehane answered an advert in The Farmers Chronicle magazine, offering free blueberry plants to anyone in the UK. All he had to pay for was carriage. The plants duly arrived and were planted near his thatched cottage on the outskirts of Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.
The plants thrived in the acidic, sandy soil and by 1957, David's daughter, Jennifer came home to help establish the very first commercial blueberry field in the UK, with 1000 bushes, transported from a nursery in New Jersey, USA.
As the blueberries established and more of the fantastic tasting blueberries were harvested, a market for them had to be built from nothing. Fruit and vegetable wholesalers in London began to offer our fruit to high quality customers such as The Ritz and Harrods, with trays of blueberries shipped from the farm with a stack of recipe booklets to educate customers on how to use them.

1990s
Build Supply Chain
Established Supplying 100% of National Requirement
Dorset Blueberries

Jennifer, having left to get married and have kids, David (snr) retired to Cornwall and the farm was managed and expanded to 8.5 acres by his son, Jeremy Trehane. Under his management, J Sainsbury was the first ‘supermarket’ customer and Marks and Spencer began to offer our blueberries to its customers in the late 1980s, with the Trehane family firmly established supplying 100% of its national requirement during the summer.

Roll on to the mid 1990s and new research by Dr James Joseph at Tufts University, Massachusetts suggested that the anti-oxidants had a beneficial effect on the aging process and cognitive ability. Further research showed that blueberries contained particularly high levels of anti-oxidants and were generally very healthy things to eat!
From this point, demand for blueberries in the UK grew by, at times, 150% each year and they are now the 2nd most popular soft fruit behind the mighty English strawberry.

1994
The Trehane farm divides
The Dorset Blueberry Company was formed
David Trehane and Jennifer Trehane in a blueberry field in Dorset UK

In 1994, Jennifer Trehane returned to Dorset and with her son David Trehane (jnr), took over the management of 5 acres of the family’s 8.5 acre farm with the intention of doubling the area grown.
We selected a 10 acre field to fill with blueberries, using vareties Duke, Bluecrop, Brigitta and Elliot to give a span of harvest season and good quality fruit.
5 of the 10 acres were planted in 2000, with the rest filling up in future years

2003
Soil Association Cerrtified
Converting to organic

Converting to organic production in 2003, we have been registered with The Soil Association for over 20 years.

Nowadays, we steer clear of corporate supermarkets, with all of our fruit destined for the UK’s 2 primary organic retailers – Riverford and Abel & Cole, but our commitment doesn’t end at your table. We also supply over 2 tons of frozen fruit each year to Lush Cosmetics, which are lovingly crafted into organic blueberry face mask.

We adhere to strict organic farming practices, ensuring that our blueberries are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. This commitment to organic agriculture not only safeguards the environment but also guarantees that you receive berries that are as nature intended—bursting with flavour, nutrients, and natural goodness.

We employ sustainable techniques that promote soil health, conserve water, and enhance biodiversity. Each blueberry is hand-picked at the peak of ripeness, ensuring that only the best make it to your table. This attention to detail ensures a superior product that stands out in taste and quality.

2015
Brothers Josh and Dan take on the PYO
Blueberry PYO sold

2015 saw the awesome brothers, Josh and Dan Benson take over the remainder of the family's original fields from Jeremy Trehane and they quickly set about transforming the Blueberry PYO into a thriving, public facing business, adding fresh flowers and a cafe under their brand, Brothers Farm.
We're delighted to work with this superb team as neighbours to drive organic blueberries on in the future.

From our family to yours, we invite you to savour the difference that passion, dedication, and sustainable farming make. Join us in celebrating nature’s bounty with every bite of our exquisite blueberries.

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