The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
FARM IS PICK OF THE BUNCH
Gayle heads to Charleton Fruit Farm near Montrose and finds some pick-your-own fun
Scrumptious strawberries, gorgeous gooseberries and perfect peas – I’m in summerproduce heaven when I visit Charleton Fruit Farm. A mile from Montrose, it’s a wonder I’ve never stumbled on this gem of a place before, as it’s hugely popular with locals and folk from further afield. The farm, having recently been taken over by Graeme and Lisa McColl and reopened in March, has undergone a bit of a facelift and there are exciting plans to ramp up its offerings in the near future.
Well-known and much-loved for its slick pick-your-own fruit operation, Charleton also
boasts a shop, cafe, take-away pod, play area with trampolines, go-karts and a couple of kune kune pigs and chickens.
There’s enough to occupy a family for the entire day, with most facilities free to use.
Site manager Mat Northcroft takes me on a wee tour, passing though gooseberry and strawberry plantations, stopping to guzzle a few gorgeous juicy berries, and sampling some peas fresh from their pods.
They taste SO much better than supermarket-bought varieties.
We also check out orchards bursting at the seams with rhubarb, pumpkins, raspberries, tayberries, blueberries, redcurrants and more. My mouth won’t stop watering.
The farm also grows potatoes and asparagus and boasts a woodland walk for those keen to go exploring.
The playpark is tremendous. OK, so it’s meant for kids, but I can’t resist a shot on a go-kart and a bounce on the trampoline, much to the bemusement of a group of toddlers.
Anyone who’s been to Charleton will know it’s famed for its strawberry tarts and, well, it would be rude not to sample one of these bad boys!
I devour one over coffee and a chat with the “fabulous four” behind the farm’s transformation – Mat, his wife Elaine, and Lisa and Graeme McColl.
The story goes like this.
When Lisa and Graeme saw the farm was for sale last year, they went to view it, fell in love with it and decided to buy it.
They roped in their pals Mat and Elaine who then gave up their jobs as primary teachers to get on board as managers of the venture.
“We thought it was such an amazing opportunity,” says Lisa, and they all agree it was a “leap of faith”.
While Graeme and Lisa worked in their family’s business, based in Muchalls, they relocated to Charleton last year and “bubbled together” with the Northcrofts to redecorate many of the farm’s buildings over winter.
The McColls had never run a farm before – the only link, and it’s a tenuous one, is that Graeme’s grandfather once had a dairy.
“We love entertaining – our house is always full of people – and we love growing and cooking things for others to enjoy,” says Lisa.
“We’d been coming here for years and when we realised the farm was for sale, we felt it was an opportunity that we had to explore.
“It has everything we would want packaged up in one place – fruit, veg, holiday rentals, catering and potential to expand. We fell in love with it.”
Lisa and Graeme had been taking their five kids, ranging in age from 11 to 21, to pick berries at Charleton since they were little.
OUT AND ABOUT
“It’s surreal seeing our 16-year-old son Archie mowing the tracks!” says Graeme.
“He loved go-karting here when he was a wee boy.”
With a degree in hospitality and a background in catering (having worked at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree and Music Hall), Graeme is excited to be offering food at Charleton, whether in the form of steak, barbecue and platter nights or at weddings.
Yup, the fabulous four are doing up an old barn – “full of tractors and punnets” – as we speak and will be turning it into a wedding venue.
They also hope to be putting up glamping pods in the farm’s walled garden and renovating cottages to turn into holiday lets.
“So many people start married life saddled with debt,” says Graeme. “But not everyone wants a fancy hotel wedding. We want to offer something affordable and personal in a relaxed space in a rustic location.”
While the farm used to open seasonally, the foursome plan to run it year-round.
“We don’t want to change what’s here; we want to expand it,” says Graeme.
“We want to honour the idea that it’s a place for everybody. But we’ve got endless ideas.”
Prior to the new team’s arrival, the farm had been run by the McQuistan family for almost a century.
With lockdown lifting, the farm has been busier than ever, with families enjoying the produce and having fun in the play areas and pick-your-own outdoor spaces.
“We love it when people have a great day out here – that’s our aim,” says Graeme.
“It’s hard to watch kids crying because they don’t want to leave but I guess it’s a
compliment!”
The UK’s strawberry season started later this year after a cooler winter and spring – but growers are optimistic that the conditions have helped strawberry flowering and ripening to occur a little more gradually, setting the scene for larger, juicier strawberries. charleton-farm.co.uk