Harvest work FAQ

Yes. You MUST already have permission to work in the UK. We are not a licensed sponsor and we do not recruit through the Seasonal Worker visa route, so we cannot arrange a visa for you.

Before your first shift we need to see your original documents — a UK or Irish passport, or your share code and identity document, or another accepted proof of your right to work. Without them we cannot start you, and there is no way around it.

The minimum age is 16. Under-18s are very welcome. A different hourly rate applies to under-21s, and there are additional working-time rules for under-18s that we will go through with you.

No. Full training is given, and blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to learn on — no thorns, almost no bending. Most people are picking at a decent rate within a couple of days.

Reasonably. You will be on your feet outdoors for most of a nine-hour day, in heat and occasionally in rain. It is not heavy lifting, but it is a full day standing and moving.

Early July to September. Exact start and finish depend on the weather and on how the crop comes in — blueberries do not read calendars.

Anything from two weeks up to ten weeks. Tell us your available dates when you apply and we will build the rota around them and around what the crop is doing.

Standard hours are 08:00 to 17:00, six days a week, with Fridays off and often Saturdays as well.

The work is weather and harvest dependent, so hours can shift. The farm office lets the team know through the worker app.

Light rain, we pick. Heavy rain can shorten or move a day, because soaked fruit does not pack well and does not travel. You will be told as early as we can tell you.

For the 2026 season:

You are paid your hourly rate for every hour you work, whatever you pick. On top of that, your picked weight is recorded and averaged over the hours worked that day. Beat 2.5kg an hour and the first bonus rate applies; beat 4kg an hour and the second one does.

Your weights and running bonus appear in the worker app the same day, so you always know where you stand.

No. The hourly rate is what you are paid regardless of output. The bonus is additional, and it is there so that getting quicker shows up in your pay straight away.

Into your bank account, through PAYE, with payslips available in the worker app. The farm office will confirm the pay run dates when you start.

No. We do not provide housing, and there is no camping on the farm. You will need to arrange somewhere local to stay before you start.

Wimborne, Ferndown, Bournemouth and Poole are all within a sensible drive, and there is a reasonable amount of short-term rented and house-share accommodation in the area over the summer — though it is worth sorting out early, as it is peak season on the coast.

You will need your own transport. The farm is at Stapehill Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7ND — rural, and not served by a bus that works with an 08:00 start and a 17:00 finish.

A car, a shared lift with someone else on the team, or a bike if you are staying close, are the realistic options.

Yes — there is parking on site for the harvest team.

• Your original right-to-work documents (first day, without fail)
• A sun hat and sunscreen — an open field in July is unforgiving
• A refillable water bottle
• Sturdy shoes or boots you do not mind getting muddy
• A waterproof and a layer for cool mornings
• Clothes you do not love — blueberries stain
• Lunch, or something to keep you going through the day

Paperwork and document checks first, then training: how to pick, how to judge ripeness, how to grade and how to pack. Then you will be paired up with someone and put on a row. Your weights start being recorded the same day.

Shift times and where your team is working, your daily picking weights and bonus, payslips, personal details, and messages from the farm office. You will get your login when you are taken on.

Go to the worker app →

Yes, so we know your dates for this season — but your account is still there. Log in to the worker app and the application will be quicker second time round.