Scottish Honeyberry Growers
A Berry Tale from Japan to Scotland
Our journey ironically began when one of our growers, Stuart Arbuckle, stumbled upon a unique fruit called a “Honeyberry” while on his Honeymoon in Japan. Labelled by the locals as The Berry of Longevity, he was immediately captivated by the berry and its popularity in the native culture.
Following initial research, Stuart discovered that Honeyberries thrive in colder climates, meaning they had huge potential to prosper in Scotland’s hardy temperatures. After some more digging, he found that some Canadian companies had started growing Honeyberries too, so he assembled a team of inquisitive farmers to learn everything they could from them, devoid of the language barriers of Japan.
In the vast Canadian orchards, this cooperative of farmers deepened their understanding of growing methods – learning firsthand from experienced growers who had been mastering the art of honeyberry cultivation for years already.
Honeyberries are a naturally existing member of the edible honeysuckle family. They are often referred to as ‘haskap’ (although we prefer ‘honeyberry’) which comes from their Japanese name ‘Haskappu’, which translates as ‘little present on the end of the branch’. They have been cherished in Japan for decades, where they are known as the ‘berry of longevity’ or ‘berry of vision’ due to their apparent exceptional health benefit