A Kent farm has become the first in the country to grow olives naturally outdoors.

Two years since planting the crop at Huggit's Farm in Stone-in-Oxney, near Tenterden, they're now celebrating their first harvest.

Neil Davy first decided to trial growing olives on five acres of land at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011.

He said: "We initially researched growing apples but people said the land wasn't good for them.

"We had always had a love of olives so we decided to plant six varieties of them for a year and test out which ones would grow the best.

"What we really wanted to see was if they could be grown in natural conditions in the UK rather than in greenhouses or artificially."

Last year 200 trees were planted following their successful trial run.

Three varieties - Frantoio, Leccino and Maurino – were most likely to bear fruit in the UK.

Neil added: "This year we weren't expecting anything because we had such a cold spring. Even in June there was hardly anything.

"I thought it was the worst idea of my life.

"Two weeks later new shoots appeared and they took and we started to get pin head olives.

"We've managed to harvest 20 kilograms, which we weren't expecting at all.

"I thought it was the worst idea of my life" - Neil Davy, before his crop grew

"While they're smaller in size than they were last year the yields are 5 - 6 times greater.

"The varieties we've planted here, have come up 30% smaller than they would be if they were grown in the Mediterranean, but we may find the flavour is more intense."

There's been a lot of interest from people across the country interested in taking the olives for farmers markets and restaurants.

Neil is now taking this latest crop to the nearby Swan Chapel Down restaurant - who will then cure and prepare them.

Neil said: "Our end goal is to one day produce extra virgin olive oil but in the meantime while we've got this crop we want to try and make the use of it."