A family run business that specialises in growing the finest tomatoes for the most discerning of customers, including such blue-chip organisations as Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and the Co-operative Society, R & L Holt first opened its doors for business back in 1979, and today has grown into one of the most sought after and respected companies in the industry.
Based in Worcestershire in the heart of England, where it operates out of three modern sites, Sandylands Nurseries, Hornsfield Nurseries and Springhill Nurseries, R & L Holt grows a variety of tomatoes, including cherries, cocktail, large tomatoes (all on the vine) and loose classic tomatoes, all in heated glasshouses, which allows the season to be extended from February until November.
All tomatoes are produced by traditional cultivation methods and the company use no genetically modified (GM) plants. BCP Certis supply Natural Pest Control ‘bugs’ to keep diseases at bay and bumble-bees for pollination.
This passion and commitment for growing only the freshest, tastiest produce has fuelled ongoing expansion at R & L Holt, most recently in the spring of 2010 when, following a successful planning permission appeal, the company added a new 12-acre glasshouse called Springhill Nurseries, to its operations. As you would probably expect of R & L Holt, it is equipped with the latest energy efficiency technology and provides a pleasant working environment.
The project, though, was not without its challenges, with the company being turned down twice by the planning department before it got permission to build the new glasshouses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem is nothing new to R & L Holt. The development of Hornsfield Nurseries, for instance, was also not without its challenges, with a number of esoteric rules and regulations being instigated by the local council. This resulted in structures having to be re-sited, restrictions on propagation and the use of lights, as well as weekend construction work being banned after 1 p.m. on a Saturday. Today, the site is acclaimed as one of the most environmentally friendly in the industry and clearly illustrates why R & L Holt was right to fight for this modern facility…and why it went through a fight for Spinghill Nurseries.
Tom, Dick, Harry and Fred
Of course, it all started with the purchase of Sandylands Nurseries 32 years ago, which housed a variety of old greenhouses on the site. There are now four glasshouses: Tom, Dick, Harry and Fred, which cover a total area of four acres. The newest is Fred, built in 2000, which covers an area of 7,300m2. Fred was equipped with thermal screens and hanging gutters in 2007. In 2009 the company added another insulated buffer tank and improved the access to Fred.
Hornsfield Nurseries was built over the winter of 2004/5 and covers an area of six acres. The plants are grown on hanging gutters and thermal screens are used to help to control the climate in the glasshouse. In 2009, fans to promote air circulation in the glasshouse and avoid ‘cold’ areas were installed.
The construction of Springhill Nurseries brings the total glasshouse acreage of the three sites to 22 acres.
Unique Benefits & Economical
The plants are grown using the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), which incorporates a constant flow of nutrient solution that is pumped from a tank and flows over the roots of the plants in a tube or tray, before returning to the tank. First used by Dutch growers in the 1970s, it is more economical than rockwool and, in fact, with the plants in waist-high hanging gutters, there is greater ease and economy in picking and trimming, with the whole operation being speeded up dramatically. Indeed, whilst installation is similar to other systems, there are a number of unique benefits to NFT, including the need to use less water and less fertiliser.
What’s more, an extra, but separate, suspended heating system in to each block also counteracts temperature variations at cooler times of the year, thus helping the plants to grow and the fruit mature.
Constantly Looking for New Land
R & L Holt is constantly investing in new machinery and equipment, including several new large machines to undertake the end of season clear out, with the whole site now being done much more quickly than ever it was in the past.
On the board of the British Tomato Growers’ Association, R & L Holt is committed to further growth and expansion in order to continue to serve its customers in the manner they have become accustomed to. Consequently, it is continually looking for land to build new glasshouses on. Land must be flat, near mains gas, good mains water supply and able to have three-phase electricity. So anyone with land for sale or knowledge of suitable land please contact [email protected].
Focused on superior quality and freshness, unrivalled customer service, and being able to supply the volumes required in what is a fiercely competitive marketplace, R & L Holt is both tenacious and extremely innovative.
But don’t just take our word for it: telephone 01386 761816 or, alternatively, visit the company’s informative website at www.randlholt.co.uk.
