The 300-acre Martinsfield Farm grew Alvaro cantaloupes outdoors for the first time and is now seeking wholesale buyers.
Martinsfield Farm in Broadclyst, Devon grew cantaloupe melons outdoors for the first time this year. Record UK heat created growing conditions the 300-acre farm has not seen before, FPC Fresh Talk Daily reported.
Key Facts
- The UK's summer 2026 mean temperature hit 16.5°C, its hottest since records began in 1884.
- Temperatures peaked at 38.1°C at Kew Gardens on 13 August, the summer's hottest day.
- Martinsfield Farm is now seeking wholesale buyers for its first outdoor-grown cantaloupe crop.
The farm planted Alvaro cantaloupe melons outdoors in June, alongside courgettes, squashes, and pumpkins. The fruit has since gone through local outlets including Exe Valley Farm Shop, which said the melons thrived in the heat. Martinsfield Farm is now looking for additional wholesale customers to take the crop.
Why UK Melons Are Hard to Grow Outdoors
Melons ripen only with steady warmth and long sunny stretches, conditions Britain's short, unpredictable summers rarely supply. Rhodes told The Telegraph the crop struggled last year. This summer's extended heat gave the melons far better conditions to ripen outdoors.
UK Farmers Testing Grapes, Kiwifruit, and Citrus
British growers are also experimenting with grapes, kiwifruit, nuts, olives, and citrus fruit, testing which crops could become commercially viable as the climate warms. The UK's hottest summer since 1884 pushed average temperatures to 16.5°C across June, July, and August, according to Met Office figures reported by ITV News.
Experts Caution Against Reading a Permanent Trend
Professor Nicola Cannon of the Royal Agricultural University told The Telegraph that two hot summers in a row do not confirm a lasting shift. She pointed to 1975 and 1976, hot summers that were followed by cooler years.
Cannon also highlighted work underway at Warwick Crop Centre to breed vegetable varieties with greater resilience to heat, drought, pests, and disease.
