British strawberries hit supermarket shelves thanks to recent warmer weather
19th April 2024
Warmer weather during last week helped deliver more than 150 tonnes of fruit grown in the UK, approximately 375,000 boxes of berries.
Thanks to higher temperatures and enough sunshine, Summer Berry Company located near Chichester in West Sussex, was able to deliver its first commercial batch of strawberries to supermarket shelves.
Summer Berry Company commercial director Jack Darnes said: “This year so far is a good example – temperatures are higher on average than in the last five years, but light levels are lower than last five-year average.
“We’ve seen some crops come earlier thanks to mild weather in winter and spring, but sugar levels have been slightly lower than usual because of the low light levels.”
Summer is not too far away
While talking to the press, Tesco strawberry buyer Callum Baker added that if the weather stays relatively good, we can see UK-wide availability of British-grown strawberries by mid-May.
If temperatures rise a bit and we get more sunshine, then they could come sooner.
Mr Baker said the start of the British strawberry season puts a “smile on people’s faces” especially after the rainy months.
He added: “There is always a lot of excitement about the first British strawberries being picked because their arrival means that summer is not too far away.
“And of course there is plenty to look forward to with such a summer of sport ahead, including Wimbledon, the event most associated with strawberries.”
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