Scottish soft-fruit specialist Angus Soft Fruits (ASF) has turned in a strong performance over the summer, despite what commercial manager John Gray describes as an “extremely challenging” season.

“The weather has been poor and suppressed consumer demand, but all things considered, our production levels have been remarkably good,” he told freshinfo.

The firm has announced the appointment of Harvey Sansome, formerly of Tesco, as senior technical manager. He will work with Gray and technical director Dave Griffiths to liaise with retailers.

“Harvey brings with him a tremendous international insight into virtually every technical aspect of the fruit business, from growing to retailing,” said Gray. “Our business is advancing through a combination of technical excellence and strong customer relations, and Harvey will help us maximise our potential in these areas.”

ASF’s pesticide-free Good Natured Fruit strawberries and raspberries, launched this spring, have been well received in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, as well as in Ireland through Dunnes retail stores.

The firm’s AVA strawberry variety, now grown in Spain and the Netherlands as well as Scotland, is also proving a hit on the Russian market, Gray said.

“As this summer season closes, we are already thinking of next year and want to broaden our growing base to accommodate demand,” he added.