Diana and Kevin Gallagher own Clevedon Strawberries, running the main site at
Clevedon, and a second patch at Ardmore. HELENA O’NEILL talks with Diana about the strawberry business.
How long have you and Kevin been running Clevedon Strawberries?
We started in 2014, so we’re in our 11th year now. We stick with what’s tried and true, but every year we’re learning something more, or how to become more efficient. We make mistakes, and we learn from that – we know what works for us and we try to replicate that every year.
What varieties do you grow?
Solely Camarosa. We used to grow a few other varieties, but these do so well and are just beautiful fruit.
How is your season looking this year?
We’ve been told that our patch is so far ahead of many others, with people down Pukekohe way having got flowers but haven’t even got fruit yet. I do think that we are a week to 10 days behind in the quantity of fruit that we normally have this time of year. We can only put that down to not as much sunshine.
We did have rain in mid-October that did damage a lot of fruit, but we’ve managed to pick through all of that. I’ve noticed over the last few days that the ripeness of the fruit is really multiplying. Our biggest pick of the season so far was on October 20.
I know that some of your fruit grows really big, is this a big drawcard?
Jumbos are still the most popular thing we sell. We sell out of them every day. Like today, in both shops, we were sold out of jumbos by lunchtime. Our plants are looking fantastic, so there should be plenty of jumbos on the way, too.
Do you still sell at the farmers’ market?
We’re at the Clevedon Farmers’ Market all year round. The only time we’re not there is when the market isn’t on; otherwise, we’re there every Sunday since we bought the caravan in 2018. I’m a firm believer that if our customers are coming a long way to the market, then it’s disappointing to get all the way there only to find we’re not there! Even when it’s cold, people love their fruit icecreams.
How many sites do you run?
Clevedon Strawberries operates two sites, the original site at Clevedon and the second is a short drive away at Ardmore, where the giant strawberry is. The Clevedon site is always a little bit ahead each season, even though we plant at the same time. It’s elevated and north-facing with clay soil, while the Ardmore site is on peat soil.
Do you still have the giant strawberry at the Ardmore site?
It’s an icon—on par with the Lemon and Paeroa Bottle or the Ohakune Carrot! I had somebody doing a tour around New Zealand and writing about all the big monuments nationwide. They happened to drive past our place and thought this had to be on this list of great monuments. It’s pretty cool, and there are lots of photos on social media.
So, when does your pick-your-own season start?
We get asked this constantly, every day. We don’t actually have a start date at this stage, but keep an eye on our social media pages because we will update them there as soon as we know.
Do you still love growing strawberries?
Yes, we do otherwise we wouldn’t still be doing it. Every year we think: ‘Gosh, it’s never-ending.’ It is continuous work right through the off-season. Once we get into the season, we are still in awe of how beautiful the strawberries are that we produce, and how neat and tidy the patch looks — just those little things. And then there’s the great feedback from customers.
- Clevedon Strawberries: 291 Monument Road, Clevedon & 217 Alfriston-Ardmore Road, Ardmore.
