08:00 – 17:00
Standard working hours. We start early because the fruit picks better in the cool of the morning, and because it gets hot in an open field by two.
Seasonal vacancy · 2027 season
Harvest Picker
Join our harvest team this summer and spend it working outdoors, paid while you tan, in a team of fifteen to twenty people.
2026 season finished — hiring again April 2027
Wimborne, Dorset
Early July – September
2–10 weeks
- Role
- Harvest Picker (seasonal)
- Location
- The Dorset Blueberry Company, Stapehill Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7ND
- Season
- Early July to September, weather and harvest dependent
- Length
- Anything from two weeks up to ten weeks
- Hours
- 08:00–17:00, six days a week — Fridays off, and often Saturdays too
- Pay
- £12.71/hr (21+) or £10.85/hr (under 21), plus picking bonus
- Minimum age
- 16
- Right to work
- You must already have permission to work in the UK
The job
What you will be doing
Compared with most fruit picking jobs, harvesting blueberries is one of the easiest. There are no thorns and almost no bending over. The berries are easy to pick, and with a little training from our experienced pickers — plus your own determination — you can be earning good money quickly.
- Picking by hand into 1kg containers, working along the rows.
- Re-packing through the day, transferring fruit into the smaller punnets our customers buy.
- Working in a pair — you will generally be teamed up with one other person.
- Grading as you go, leaving the under-ripe fruit on the bush for the next pass.
Full training is given. The season runs from early July to September and the work is weather and harvest dependent, so no two weeks look quite the same.
Hours and days
The working week
Six days a week
Fridays off, and often Saturdays as well. The rota is set around what the crop is doing that week.
Weather dependent
Blueberries do not wait, but they also do not pick well soaked. Heavy rain can shorten or move a day — the office lets the team know through the app.
Pay
Rates for the 2026 season
You are paid per hour, plus a bonus based on the number of kilos an hour you produce during each day.
| Age | Per hour |
|---|---|
| 21 and over | £12.71 |
| Under 21 | £10.85 |
| Output | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Bonus 1 — above 2.5 kg/hr | £0.20 per kg |
| Bonus 2 — above 4 kg/hr | £0.50 per kg |
How the bonus works in practice
Your picked weight is recorded through the day and averaged over the hours you worked. Beat 2.5kg an hour and the first bonus rate applies; beat 4kg an hour and the second one does. You can see the running total in the worker app, so there is no waiting until payday to find out how you did.
Requirements
Who we can take on
- Minimum age 16. Under-18s are welcome; different rates and working-time rules apply.
- You MUST have permission to work in the UK. We cannot sponsor visas or recruit through the Seasonal Worker route. You will need to show original documents before your first shift.
- Your own transport. The farm is rural; there is no practical public transport at our start and finish times.
- Your own accommodation. We do not provide housing or camping on the farm.
- Able to work outdoors all day, on your feet, in sun and occasionally in rain.
No previous picking experience is needed — full training is given and most people are up to speed within a couple of days.
How to apply
Applying takes about ten minutes
-
Complete the online application
Through our worker app. Tell us the dates you are available and how to reach you.
-
We come back to you
The farm office reviews applications as they arrive and will talk to you about start dates.
-
Bring your right-to-work documents
Originals, before your first day. We cannot start you without them.
-
Training, then your first row
You will be shown the technique, paired up, and your weights start being recorded straight away.
Applications open April 2027
The 2026 season has finished. Next season: early July to September, two to ten weeks, fifteen to twenty places.
Email hello@dorsetblueberry.co.uk and we will let you know when applications open.
Already applied, or worked with us before? Log in to the worker app.
Still deciding?
Have a look at what a picking day actually looks like, or read the applicant FAQ.
Ready for a summer in the field?
The 2026 season has finished. We will be hiring again in April 2027.