A young family member, aged 10, called Scarlett, asked my wife Kate if she could try some different fruits after lunch one day. The next day, Kate bought some strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Scarlett enjoyed them so much that she wanted to try even more varieties.
A few days later, while shopping in Aldi, we noticed they were selling three berry bushes for £10. We bought a blackberry bush, a blueberry bush, and a raspberry bush and planted them in our back garden. We wanted to show Scarlett how berries grow and let her experience the taste of home-grown fruit. I then began researching all the other berries that could be grown in the UK and was amazed by how many varieties there was.
There were so many berries that later that night, while relaxing in the bath and thinking about Scarlett's interest in them, I decided to create a berry character using AI. At the time, I was learning how to use AI for fun and making humorous videos about local potholes in an attempt to encourage the council to repair them.
I have always loved telling stories to children and enjoy the smiles and excitement they bring. I have been doing this for years. My son, Ben, used to take some of my stories into school to read to his classmates, and the feedback was always wonderful. The children regularly asked for more.
I started by designing Summer Strawberry and was so pleased with the result that I went on to create Roody Raspberry, Bella Blackberry and then Jerry Berry. Before long, Wizz Berry Farm had come to life. I couldn't stop creating new characters, and soon the idea of writing a book followed. My family loved the characters, and Scarlett enjoyed them so much that she wanted to design one herself. Together, we created Millie the Blackberry, just one of now thirty-three. I have now written six books the first to be released in late June 2026.