Record number of watermelons grown at farm in Wisbech
11,000 of the fruit have been grown
Last updated 24th Aug 2023
A record number of watermelons have been grown at a farm in Cambridgeshire.
Oakley Farm in Wisbech is set to double its previous production record, up to 11,000 this year.
It supplies Tesco, which described the 11,000 watermelons as "the largest yield ever produced in Britain".
The farm also grows pumpkins and courgettes, which are both members of the cucurbit family, the same as watermelons.
Nick Molesworth, manager of Oakley Farms in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, said the exotic fruits "are not that easy to grow", adding that the British climate "can also be challenging".
"We started growing them after Tesco approached us and offered to work with us on the project and it made good sense as the crop would fit in perfectly between production of courgettes in late spring and pumpkins in early autumn.
"We have tried several different methods of growing the watermelons and are now getting more fruit per plant so the hard work is starting to pay off.
"They are not that easy to grow and the British climate can also be challenging but we're very pleased with this year's crop.
"Growing watermelons is a natural evolution for our business."
The crop was produced with the guidance of melon-growing expert James Cackett.
He said: "Growing watermelons in Britain is still a small and developing industry with just a handful of producers scattered around the UK.
"When we first started selling them, in very small quantity, about 10 years ago shoppers were curious whether such an exotic-looking fruit could ever be grown over here."