Ballykelly Blackcurrants

Blackcurrant Grower

Des Jeffares is Mr Blackcurrant! He’s even on a telly ad to prove it as the Irish face of Ribena! Des has been growing blackcurrants for the famous fruit drink for many years, but the Jeffares history of fruit farming goes back way longer than that. Des is the third generation to grow the berries on his land in the rolling countryside of Drinagh, County Wexford, and part of a pretty prestigious bunch known as the Wexford Blackcurrant Growers.

He has over a hundred acres under fruit, much of it to supply to the UK for the blackcurrant drink kids love. But these days, he has his eye on supplying the local market with fresh and frozen berries too – such is demand for this high quality superfruit. Blueberries get all the praise in that direction – but blackcurrants can knock the spots off them in the health stakes. They are rich in vitally important Vitamin C, and other nutrients, which boost the immune system, to fight off all sorts of bugs and germs.  Blackcurrants are also known for their antioxidants, which banish ‘free radicals’ from the blood stream to help keep the heart healthy, and some say they can help in the fight against cancer too. At the very least, blackcurrants keep skin healthy and glowing, add shine to hair and nails, and just give you that little bit of a zap of fruity wellbeing we all need sometimes. 

Anyone who has tried to grow soft fruit on any scale will know it’s a headache from start to finish. Des couldn’t agree more, and has spent his entire career working out how to get the best yield and protect the crop. It’s not an easy task, but this man seems to have got the knack for it, so much so that local chefs are now looking for his fruit to adorn many a sweet and savoury dish. Des uses crop rotation and environmental methods where possible, and has to invest three years in each plant before he reaps a harvest. That requires patience and dedication, and a few prayers that the weather will be kind to the crop once it starts to grow! Provided the prayers work, what you get at picking time are plump, dark, juicy berries, hanging like precious gems from rows and rows of healthy blackcurrant bushes. Once picked, the crop is packed and transported within hours, so you can be guaranteed the freshest, most nutritionally beneficial fruit. No wonder Ribena loves Des! And when you get your hands on his lovely blackcurrants, you’ll love him too.

In the height of the harvesting season of July and August, punnets of fresh fruit will be available according to stock levels, in local shops and farmer’s markets and to the catering trade. Frozen berries are now available in pre-weighed bags at nearby Kate's Farm Shop. Call Des for further details.

Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

Ballykelly Farms
Drinagh
Wexford
+353 (0)87 2867455
Email: desjeffares@eircom.net
Web: www.goodfoodireland.ie

 

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