As you might have guessed from our name, Belvoir Fruit Farms is located on the beautiful Belvoir (pronounced “beever”) Castle estate, in the idyllic Lincolnshire countryside, not far from Grantham.

There’s been a castle at this location since Robert de Todeni, Standard Bearer to William the Conqueror, built the first fortress here in the 11th century, naming it “Bel voir”, French for “beautiful view”. It’s been rebuilt a couple of times since then, having been damaged in both the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War.

The current castle is home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, and is open to the public, as well as being the venue for an annual firework competition, a folk music festival and Belvoir Cricket Club. It’s also been used as a location for films ranging from Little Lord Fauntleroy to the Da Vinci Code. If you’re ever in our neck of the woods, it’s well worth a visit, not least for the spectacular views over the Vale of Belvoir.

Incidentally, when it comes to making high-quality food and drinks, we’re in good company in these parts. The Vale of Belvoir is world famous for two other local specialities: Stilton cheese and pork pies. Of the six dairies legally allowed to produce Stilton cheese, five are in this area. The town of Melton Mowbray is also the home of the Melton Mowbray pork pie, traditionally produced using uncured pork and hand-formed pastry.