MEET THE SUTHERLAND FAMILY

Burlington Berries was established in 2012 by Kate and Stewart Sutherland with lifelong friends and business partners Marion and Jon Regan from Kent, England. Originally from NSW where the Sutherland family has farmed for generations, Kate and Stewart manage Burlington Berries in conjunction with their other agribusinesses which form the Tooma Group. 

Consisting of farms in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, the Tooma Group is a mixed farming venture with a focus on broad acre cropping, Fat Lamb and beef cattle. All seed produced on the farms is marketed through the pasture seed business Upper Murray Seeds, headquartered in Albury. 

As passionate and experienced farmers, the Sutherlands have been committed to the Australian agricultural industry for 6 generations, and now the next generation of the Sutherland family — Emma, Charlotte, Sophie and Libby are all involved in various operational and management roles within the businesses.

How our journey started...

With years of experience in producing, growing and selling premium agricultural products, the addition of a berry farm seemed like a natural progression for the Sutherlands. The family was already active in Tasmania growing pasture seeds as part of the Upper Murray Seeds operation. An opportunity to establish and develop a soft fruit enterprise was presented by Marion and Jon Regan in 2012, after Driscoll’s Ltd recognised the potential to provide year round premium berries to the Australian consumer.

Growing berries requires a very special skillset and with the Regans of Hugh Lowe Farms in the UK, it was the ideal partnership. Located in Kent, England, the undisputed berry capital of Britain, Hugh Lowe Farms was established in 1893 and is the official supplier of strawberries to the world-famous tennis tournament, Wimbledon.

The Burlington Berries partnership brings the Sutherland’s Tasmanian investment and Hugh Lowe Farm’s 120 years of experience together. It is now growing over 70 hectares of fresh berries in Tasmania, making it a leader of innovative soft fruit farming in Australia, and has plans for further expansion.

The future is very exciting...

The business is always evolving and growing with many exciting projects in the pipeline.

Driscoll’s new varieties are extending the harvest season providing year-round production and allowing us to provide our delicious berries to more customers more often.

Consumer demand is also driving the expansion of the farm’s footprint with plans for a second 70 hectare site at Freelands Farm, also in the Cressy district.

This will not only allow Burlington to better meet market demand, but also allow the business to make further considerable investment within Northern Tasmania and offer more career paths and employment to local and international team members.

As the business grows, so does the family’s involvement, with daughters Sophie and Libby in key leadership positions.

As the next chapter of the Burlington Berries story is written, it is reassuring to know the next generation is fully involved ensuring continued investment, local jobs and a ‘Better Berry’ for us all to enjoy for years to come.