Stuart and Allison McGruddy are the hard working hands behind My Berries, one of Southeast Queensland’s growers of raspberries and strawberries. Interested in food from a young age, Stuart pursued his passion as a chef and worked in senior roles in various local and international restaurants and hotels. After meeting Allison and with Stuart’s ten years of experience in the kitchen, the pair decided to return home to the abundant raspberries and strawberries at Stuart’s family farm in the Moreton Bay region.

In 2013 Stuart and Allison, through My Berries, began selling high-quality raspberries direct to market goers. Picking and then selling them within a day means that My Berries produce could not be fresher. As well as fresh raspberries and strawberries, My Berries offers frozen raspberries as well as utilising Stuart’s background in the kitchen to develop a range of raspberry products that help minimise waste on the farm.

The Raspberry Crush is similar to a coulis or jam but with less sugar and 80 percent berries. Stuart is currently working on the product again to further minimise the sugar content and make it all about the berries. The pair has also developed a raspberry vinegar for dressing salads, oysters or icy soda drinks and raspberry bombs, the ultimate explosion of raspberry and fine Belgian chocolate.

My Berries doesn’t sprout claims of organic or spray-free, but minimise the need with integrated pest management including introducing good bugs to kill the bad bugs and painting molasses yeast extract on the wood of the crops to ensure that the bad bugs can’t breed and multiply. You can find My Berries each weekend at the Davies Park Market and Jan Powers Farmers Market at Brisbane Powerhouse and Queen Street, supplying fresh raspberries all year round and fresh strawberries ten months of the year.