Today on series two of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar supported by NFU Mutual we continue looking ahead to the 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships Conference in Leeds 🎙️ Across this series we’re hearing from scholars who will feature within the conference presentation groups, giving a flavour of the conversations, ideas and experiences set to shape the event 🌍
This episode focuses on the presentation group “Innovation in Modern Horticulture” with Polly Hilton and Lucy George 🌱
While the Leeds presentation group will also include Ali Warren-Walker, a change in presentation groups meant Ali had already featured in the opening episode of this series as part of “New Pathways for Land, Rivers, Carbon and Nature”, so this conversation focused on Polly and Lucy.
We spoke about two very different journeys within horticulture, from premium cider production and traditional orchards through to tea growing in Wales. What linked both conversations was a willingness to challenge convention, create value from specialist crops and build businesses around products that many people would not immediately associate with British agriculture 🚜
Polly shared how Fine Love Cider works with traditional orchards in the Wye Valley, helping to protect and restore these valuable landscapes while producing premium ciders. Through her travels she explored cider cultures across Europe, looking at everything from education and government support to the role local producers play in maintaining regional identity and rural economies 🌳
Lucy spoke about pioneering commercial tea production in Wales after a background in soft fruit growing. Her Nuffield journey has explored how innovation from across horticulture can be adapted into the tea sector, while also questioning how we define value within food production. From consumer understanding and sustainability through to community engagement and wellbeing, her work highlighted the wider role that horticulture can play beyond simply producing a crop 🍃
One of the strongest themes running throughout the episode was the importance of education and connection. Whether it was helping consumers understand where their tea comes from or encouraging support for locally grown apples and cider, both scholars highlighted the value of reconnecting people with the origins of what they eat and drink 🌾
Without giving away everything that will be shared on stage in Leeds, this episode offered another fascinating glimpse into the future of horticulture, rural enterprise and innovative crop production.
Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.
Enjoy! 🙂