Cherries from Hernhill in Kent were sent to Her Majesty the Queen last week from the Dawes family’s crop, after the Mount Ephraim Fruit Farm was recognised at the Kent County Show.
Sandys Dawes and his son, Will, picked up best in show for their produce in the 86th National Cherry and Soft Fruit Show, which took place at the Kent showground in Detling.
Their triumph meant that organisers shipped off a basket of their finest cherries to Buckingham Palace.
Mr Dawes said: “This year the show came a week earlier than usual, and because we are an earlier site, our cherries had ripened at perfect timing.
“Every year, the organisers send a basket of the best cherries to the Queen; this year it was ours. We don’t know whether she really will see them or eat them, but it is nice to think she will.”
“It is a great to attract more interest in English cherries and soft fruit and to find out the Queen will be sampling our produce is a really lovely thing to happen." - Sandys Dawes
The National Cherry and Soft Fruit Show takes place at the Kent County Show every year and is open to any commercial fruit grower.
Source: kentonline.co.uk
