About this episode

The episode features discussions with Polly Hilton and Lucy George about their innovative approaches in horticulture, including cider production and tea growing in Wales.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Wallace Currie

Guests: Polly Hilton, Lucy George

Topics covered

• Nuffield Farming Scholarships
• Horticulture
• Cider Production
• Tea Growing
• Agricultural Innovation

Keywords

• Nuffield Scholar
• horticulture
• cider
• tea
• agriculture
• innovation
• Wales
• premium crops

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NFU Mutual, Fine Love Cider

Places: Wye Valley, Wales

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