{"id":2851,"date":"2024-07-10T14:54:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T13:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/?page_id=2851"},"modified":"2024-07-10T14:54:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T13:54:33","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/?page_id=2851","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Our Passion<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hillers Farm Shop is run by fourth-generation sisters, Sally and Emma, who are at the forefront of this busy, flourishing rural business offering so much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award-winning Farm Shop has an array of fantastic homemade products and many other delicious items that are carefully selected from specialist suppliers to bring their customers the very best in fresh, quality produce that is sourced locally wherever possible. Within the Farm Shop, there\u2019s a delicatessen and well-stocked cheese counter, Ragley Estate Meats and Hillers Fish Shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also onsite is The Garden Cafe, Gifts & Interiors and Garden Shop \u2013 so there\u2019s really something for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hillers is a family run enterprise that\u2019s passionate about bringing you the best in quality, local produce and customer service that\u2019s second to none! So, whether you want to browse in the award\u2013winning Farm Shop, enjoy a delicious meal in the Garden Cafe, walk around the beautiful Display Garden or find the perfect outfit or a gift for that special someone, visit Hillers where you\u2019ll be assured of a warm welcome. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

A History of Hillers<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n \n

Diversification, adapting to change, entrepreneurship, seizing the moment, not, as you might think an application for Alan Sugar\u2019s Apprentice programme, but rather the necessity faced by most farmers in the UK in the past 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All over the country farmers, experts in producing the food to feed the nation, have found themselves having to reinvent their business, their skills, even themselves. It\u2019s not enough to understand the land, battle the elements, beat disease and cope with the bureaucracy of farming. Nowadays you have to find your unique sales point, market yourself to an ever more demanding public, and be not just computer literate but have website knowhow.<\/p>\n\n\n

The story of Hillers is an illustration of that journey. It has experience of the tenacity, flexibility and sometimes sheer bloody-mindedness needed to not only survive themselves, but also provide employment for local people, support for other local businesses and walk the fine line between<\/p>\n\n\n

21st century efficiency, cheaper food prices and the \u2018traditional\u2019 and \u2018old fashioned\u2019 values and service expected by today\u2019s discerning consumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A H Hiller & Son Ltd. was Arnold Hiller and his son Robert, who started as fruit farmers with orchards and fruit fields leased from Ragley.  Although picking and sorting methods changed over the years from the 1920\u2019s when Arnold started out, the basic premise of the business remained the same for four decades, growing the best quality fruit for distribution to markets across the country. Mainly apples, pears and plums, the traditional fruits, but Robert led the way at the forefront of the industry, and was instrumental in introducing new fruits to the UK, including loganberries.<\/p>\n\n

Read More<\/p>\n<\/summary>\n\n

In the 70\u2019s came changes to the way families worked and lived.  More time together meant they need something to do and somewhere to go.  Pick Your Own became the way to spend a day together with everyone eating themselves silly on ripe strawberries with pounds and pounds of the fruit for making into jam and pies, filling the new freezer.  Recognising an opportunity, Hillers opened up the fruit fields, becoming one of the biggest Pick Your Own Farms in the area.  It wasn\u2019t unusual for 2,000 cars to be parked in the car park on high summer weekends, with families picking strawberries, raspberries and then peas and all kinds of vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pick Your Own boom continued for a number of years- until the rise of the supermarkets in the eighties.  Suddenly fresh fruit and vegetables were being supplied in chilled cabinets, and the one stop weekly shopping experience took over from the individual retailers selling their stock daily.  With the increase in their trade supermarkets became more demanding, both in terms of the quality of the produce and the price they were prepared to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n

Hillers countered the decline in the Pick Your Own market by setting up sophisticated packing and storage facilities to supply the supermarkets with the fruit previously picked by the consumer. This meant they could better comply with their demands, but also enabled them to continue as a viable business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the back of the Hillers Farm Shop is a huge area known as the Packhouse, which is now the stockroom for the shop.  It was from the back door of the packhouse that the shop began, with local people coming to buy boxes of apples and other produce from the Hillers Farm.  Gradually it made sense to convert the old farm building into a shop, and this is the same Farm Shop there today, thirty five years later. The growth in customers for the Farm Shop led to the opening of the Tearooms, and more and more visitors arrived, with the Farm Shop becoming a stop off for visitors to the area as well as local families.<\/p>\n\n\n

The last twenty years have seen many changes and developments, and the growing success for the business is due to the vision and business acumen of the family.  Probably the biggest growth has been in the Farm Shop, as customers become more aware of the food they eat, and are more interested in knowing where it comes from and how it gets onto their plate. Hillers has always sold the freshest and wherever it can local produce.  Often the cabbage you buy was picked that same morning, or the potatoes dug and delivered to us that same day. There are probably 10 or a dozen small local growers (by local we mean within a ten mile radius of the site) who depend on Hillers to sell their produce.  The difference between supplying Hillers and supplying a supermarket chain \u2013 we don\u2019t dictate the price.  The growers invoice us the price they need in order to make a living.<\/p>\n\n\n

Another development in the Farm Shop was the introduction of Ragley Estate Meats.  This is illustrative of the long and strong relationship between Ragley and Hillers, where meat produced on Ragley is sold through the Hillers shop. Some of the meat is reared just \u2018over the fence\u2019, and the rest comes from local farmers and suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n

With all the changes over the years there is one constant that allows the change to happen, the staff who work at Hillers. Many of the staff have been there a long time, and those who leave usually leave to retire!  Their commitment to providing friendly service, going the extra mile, and above all believing in Hillers and what it stands for has meant the continuation of a business that could have folded as so many have. We employ over 90 people. Many are part timers fitting work in around families, or just wanting to do something for a few hours each week in their retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n

Together all these things add up to not just a successful business, but one that invests in the local community, and cares about getting it right for our customers.  Over the years we have won many awards such as Best Local Food Retailer in the Midlands by the Rural Retailer Awards, run by the Countryside Alliance and the Daily Telegraph, and  also we have been awarded Champion of local Produce by the Warwickshire Food and Drink Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n

The business is now run by fourth generation sisters, Sally Haines and Emma Taylor and they know that  the development and changes won\u2019t stop here and hope to run for another 80 years!<\/p>\n\n\n

Hillers is famous for growing strawberries and raspberries.  We have recently started growing these crops in polythene tunnels. By doing this the farm can greatly reduce the number of chemicals applied to the fruit and protect the fruit from rain.  Water is trickled directly onto the soil where the plant needs it, and this prevents evaporation.  The water used is mainly from the winter storage of rain water held in our own reservoir. Any change in growing methods has positive and negative sides, but with great co-operation from Ragley Estates we have been able to carefully site the tunnels away from residential areas and reduce the visual impact on the landscape as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n

Wherever possible we grow our own or source from local growers, usually within a 10 mile radius of the shop.<\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Our Growers<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We pride ourselves in offering a wide range of fresh, quality produce with enough choice to complete the weekly shop and we strongly believe that supporting local farmers gives you a fresher and higher standard of produce for your money.  Most of these growers are within 10 miles of the farm shop. When they say \u2018local\u2019, they mean \u2018local\u2019, as often the fruit and vegetables you buy are picked that very same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in season we buy our asparagus from Derek Wilkinson just two miles away in Salford Priors where the crop is freshly cut every day and we also buy most of our salad leaves from the Hollis family in our village of Dunnington. The majority of our winter vegetables come from the Byrd family in Evesham and Drinkwater in Chipping Campden \u2013 to name just a few.  Not forgetting we grow a lot ourselves on our 60-acre farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look out for our signage throughout the shop showing you how many miles away that produce is grown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Environment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are committed to protecting our environment \u2013 both locally and globally. These are some of the things that we do;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We encourage our customers to reuse the boxes stock is delivered in, rather than plastic bags, to pack their shopping in, and these are available in the till area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All our carrier bags and roller bags for the fresh produce are biodegradable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All our paper and cardboard waste is compacted, baled and recycled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the fruit and vegetable waste is collected and used as pig food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We won\u2019t use unnecessary packaging to display the fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The punnets we use for the soft fruits are supplied by Evesham Specialist Packaging. The punnets are made from pulp which is the waste product from paper and box production. After use the punnets can either be flattened and recycled with your paper recycling collection, or put on the compost heap. Click on the Evesham Specialist Packaging link on the Links page for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Hiller Garden we use, and sell, a compost and soil improver made from recycled garden waste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Our Passion<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hillers Farm Shop is run by fourth-generation sisters, Sally and Emma, who are at the forefront of this busy, flourishing rural business offering so much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award-winning Farm Shop has an array of fantastic homemade products and many other delicious items that are carefully selected from specialist suppliers to bring their customers the very best in fresh, quality produce that is sourced locally wherever possible. Within the Farm Shop, there\u2019s a delicatessen and well-stocked cheese counter, Ragley Estate Meats and Hillers Fish Shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also onsite is The Garden Cafe, Gifts & Interiors and Garden Shop \u2013 so there\u2019s really something for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hillers is a family run enterprise that\u2019s passionate about bringing you the best in quality, local produce and customer service that\u2019s second to none! So, whether you want to browse in the award\u2013winning Farm Shop, enjoy a delicious meal in the Garden Cafe, walk around the beautiful Display Garden or find the perfect outfit or a gift for that special someone, visit Hillers where you\u2019ll be assured of a warm welcome. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

A History of Hillers<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n \n

Diversification, adapting to change, entrepreneurship, seizing the moment, not, as you might think an application for Alan Sugar\u2019s Apprentice programme, but rather the necessity faced by most farmers in the UK in the past 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All over the country farmers, experts in producing the food to feed the nation, have found themselves having to reinvent their business, their skills, even themselves. It\u2019s not enough to understand the land, battle the elements, beat disease and cope with the bureaucracy of farming. Nowadays you have to find your unique sales point, market yourself to an ever more demanding public, and be not just computer literate but have website knowhow.<\/p>\n\n\n

The story of Hillers is an illustration of that journey. It has experience of the tenacity, flexibility and sometimes sheer bloody-mindedness needed to not only survive themselves, but also provide employment for local people, support for other local businesses and walk the fine line between<\/p>\n\n\n

21st century efficiency, cheaper food prices and the \u2018traditional\u2019 and \u2018old fashioned\u2019 values and service expected by today\u2019s discerning consumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A H Hiller & Son Ltd. was Arnold Hiller and his son Robert, who started as fruit farmers with orchards and fruit fields leased from Ragley.  Although picking and sorting methods changed over the years from the 1920\u2019s when Arnold started out, the basic premise of the business remained the same for four decades, growing the best quality fruit for distribution to markets across the country. Mainly apples, pears and plums, the traditional fruits, but Robert led the way at the forefront of the industry, and was instrumental in introducing new fruits to the UK, including loganberries.<\/p>\n\n

Read More<\/p>\n<\/summary>\n\n

In the 70\u2019s came changes to the way families worked and lived.  More time together meant they need something to do and somewhere to go.  Pick Your Own became the way to spend a day together with everyone eating themselves silly on ripe strawberries with pounds and pounds of the fruit for making into jam and pies, filling the new freezer.  Recognising an opportunity, Hillers opened up the fruit fields, becoming one of the biggest Pick Your Own Farms in the area.  It wasn\u2019t unusual for 2,000 cars to be parked in the car park on high summer weekends, with families picking strawberries, raspberries and then peas and all kinds of vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pick Your Own boom continued for a number of years- until the rise of the supermarkets in the eighties.  Suddenly fresh fruit and vegetables were being supplied in chilled cabinets, and the one stop weekly shopping experience took over from the individual retailers selling their stock daily.  With the increase in their trade supermarkets became more demanding, both in terms of the quality of the produce and the price they were prepared to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n

Hillers countered the decline in the Pick Your Own market by setting up sophisticated packing and storage facilities to supply the supermarkets with the fruit previously picked by the consumer. This meant they could better comply with their demands, but also enabled them to continue as a viable business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the back of the Hillers Farm Shop is a huge area known as the Packhouse, which is now the stockroom for the shop.  It was from the back door of the packhouse that the shop began, with local people coming to buy boxes of apples and other produce from the Hillers Farm.  Gradually it made sense to convert the old farm building into a shop, and this is the same Farm Shop there today, thirty five years later. The growth in customers for the Farm Shop led to the opening of the Tearooms, and more and more visitors arrived, with the Farm Shop becoming a stop off for visitors to the area as well as local families.<\/p>\n\n\n

The last twenty years have seen many changes and developments, and the growing success for the business is due to the vision and business acumen of the family.  Probably the biggest growth has been in the Farm Shop, as customers become more aware of the food they eat, and are more interested in knowing where it comes from and how it gets onto their plate. Hillers has always sold the freshest and wherever it can local produce.  Often the cabbage you buy was picked that same morning, or the potatoes dug and delivered to us that same day. There are probably 10 or a dozen small local growers (by local we mean within a ten mile radius of the site) who depend on Hillers to sell their produce.  The difference between supplying Hillers and supplying a supermarket chain \u2013 we don\u2019t dictate the price.  The growers invoice us the price they need in order to make a living.<\/p>\n\n\n

Another development in the Farm Shop was the introduction of Ragley Estate Meats.  This is illustrative of the long and strong relationship between Ragley and Hillers, where meat produced on Ragley is sold through the Hillers shop. Some of the meat is reared just \u2018over the fence\u2019, and the rest comes from local farmers and suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n

With all the changes over the years there is one constant that allows the change to happen, the staff who work at Hillers. Many of the staff have been there a long time, and those who leave usually leave to retire!  Their commitment to providing friendly service, going the extra mile, and above all believing in Hillers and what it stands for has meant the continuation of a business that could have folded as so many have. We employ over 90 people. Many are part timers fitting work in around families, or just wanting to do something for a few hours each week in their retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n

Together all these things add up to not just a successful business, but one that invests in the local community, and cares about getting it right for our customers.  Over the years we have won many awards such as Best Local Food Retailer in the Midlands by the Rural Retailer Awards, run by the Countryside Alliance and the Daily Telegraph, and  also we have been awarded Champion of local Produce by the Warwickshire Food and Drink Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n

The business is now run by fourth generation sisters, Sally Haines and Emma Taylor and they know that  the development and changes won\u2019t stop here and hope to run for another 80 years!<\/p>\n\n\n

Hillers is famous for growing strawberries and raspberries.  We have recently started growing these crops in polythene tunnels. By doing this the farm can greatly reduce the number of chemicals applied to the fruit and protect the fruit from rain.  Water is trickled directly onto the soil where the plant needs it, and this prevents evaporation.  The water used is mainly from the winter storage of rain water held in our own reservoir. Any change in growing methods has positive and negative sides, but with great co-operation from Ragley Estates we have been able to carefully site the tunnels away from residential areas and reduce the visual impact on the landscape as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n

Wherever possible we grow our own or source from local growers, usually within a 10 mile radius of the shop.<\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Our Growers<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We pride ourselves in offering a wide range of fresh, quality produce with enough choice to complete the weekly shop and we strongly believe that supporting local farmers gives you a fresher and higher standard of produce for your money.  Most of these growers are within 10 miles of the farm shop. When they say \u2018local\u2019, they mean \u2018local\u2019, as often the fruit and vegetables you buy are picked that very same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in season we buy our asparagus from Derek Wilkinson just two miles away in Salford Priors where the crop is freshly cut every day and we also buy most of our salad leaves from the Hollis family in our village of Dunnington. The majority of our winter vegetables come from the Byrd family in Evesham and Drinkwater in Chipping Campden \u2013 to name just a few.  Not forgetting we grow a lot ourselves on our 60-acre farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look out for our signage throughout the shop showing you how many miles away that produce is grown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Environment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are committed to protecting our environment \u2013 both locally and globally. These are some of the things that we do;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We encourage our customers to reuse the boxes stock is delivered in, rather than plastic bags, to pack their shopping in, and these are available in the till area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All our carrier bags and roller bags for the fresh produce are biodegradable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All our paper and cardboard waste is compacted, baled and recycled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the fruit and vegetable waste is collected and used as pig food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We won\u2019t use unnecessary packaging to display the fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The punnets we use for the soft fruits are supplied by Evesham Specialist Packaging. The punnets are made from pulp which is the waste product from paper and box production. After use the punnets can either be flattened and recycled with your paper recycling collection, or put on the compost heap. Click on the Evesham Specialist Packaging link on the Links page for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Hiller Garden we use, and sell, a compost and soil improver made from recycled garden waste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our Passion Hillers Farm Shop is run by fourth-generation sisters, Sally and Emma, who are at the forefront of this busy, flourishing rural business offering so much more. The award-winning Farm Shop has an array of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2851"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2851"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2854,"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2851\/revisions\/2854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillers.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}