Bingies’ Berries.

Mark Bingle, who at 33 years of age is one of Jersey’s youngest growers, set up Bingies’ Berries in 2002 after a life-time in local agriculture.

Noticing the urgent need to diversify, and making use of the Islands mild climate, he came up with the idea of growing raspberries and soft fruit on a scale that Jersey had never seen before. After extensive research both on and off the Island, several varieties of long and short cane raspberries were chosen to produce a growing season beginning April to September.

Planted at a 23 vergee site at St Lawrence, and other sites in the Island, the canes are maintained meticulously with the minimum of chemicals, which cease to be used once the flower appears on the cane, therefore ensuring that the berry produced is chemical free and as nutritious as possible.

Bingies’ Berries only produces top quality fruit, which is distributed throughout the local supermarkets, farm shops, wholesale caterers, and the Genuine Jersey shows and Farmers markets. They have also reached other Channel Islands, with substantial orders being sent to Guernsey in 2004.

We are looking forward to an exciting new season in 2005, where we will be producing new crops of blueberries, tayberries and loganberries, together with the first crop of an experimental ‘cold-weather’ Polish variety of raspberry called Polka, all of which will be of the highest standard that our clients know they will receive from Bingies’ Berries.

Last Christmas Mark expanded his business to include selling free-range turkeys. The birds, which were imported as one-day old chicks, were fed on corn and veg and didn’t come into contact with the hormones or fattening agents used in intensive farming. This year he hopes include ducks and geese as well.

Bingies’ Berries is a true local affair, with the whole of the Bingle Family (who are all Jersey born) involved. The business is an enthusiastic supporter of the Genuine Jersey initiative, as it brings together people with a genuine passion for local agriculture and the Island of Jersey itself.

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