After 23 years, a farm which allowed customers to pick their own fruit is closing its store at the end of the season.

Brian Moore, of Bibaloe Beg farm in Onchan, has decided the time is right to close down.

The farm, which is at the top of Whitebridge Road, has been something of a landmark for those travelling through the village with its ’now open’ board announcing the arrival of spring.

There visitors could pick their own rhubarb, gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and most famously, a variety of strawberries.

Mr Moore admitted to the Manx Independent the response had left him ’almost feeling like I’d cancelled Christmas’.

He said: ’The farm has been very popular down the years.

’I’ve seen generations of families come through. Some people who originally came with their parents or grandparents are now bringing their own children.

’I was quite surprised by the reaction and how upset some people said they were to be honest.

’But I want to start taking life a bit easier and this just felt like the right time, I didn’t feel like committing to another few years.’

Since announcing his decision, the post has been widely shared on Facebook and attracted many messages of thanks for Mr Moore with some people reflecting on their memories of going to pick their own fruit.

Michael Crimp said: ’Gutted. It’s the best strawberries we get all year. Supermarkets don’t even come close.’

And Keira Corteen summed up the feelings of many by adding: ’This is such sad news.

’I’ve loved bringing my children, and my dad used to bring me as a child.’ But as Mr Moore was quick to point out, there is still a whole season left for those who want to pick their own fresh Manx fruit.

Mr Moore said that he wished someone would be willing to take on growing the fruit on their farms but added that the recent difficult seasons for farmers had damaged the chances of someone doing so.

Looking back on his time operating ’pick your own’, he said: ’I’ve really enjoyed doing it.

’I started when the strawberry fields at Croite-e-Caley shut down after Tesco came in, it really changed the nature of shopping.

’We could have taken it further but we made a decision not to expand too much so we could keep doing it ourselves.

’We never wanted to sell our produce in the stores, we found it much better to let people pick their own and they kept coming back so obviously people enjoyed doing it.’

Profitable

Looking to the future after he closes, Mr Moore said: ’If anyone is interested in having a go and needs advice let me know’.

He said that strawberries don’t took up a lot of land, only needing ’four or five’ acres which can produce ’five or six tons a year’.

Mr Moore added: ’It is a lot of work for a short season, but it’s a profitable business.’

The farm is currently open for rhubarb picking. The strawberry season is only a few weeks away.

lFood and farming news, pages 22 and 23.