Top News

UK supermarket shoppers will notice a big size change when it comes to strawberries this summer. The weather has had a significant impact on strawberry growing this spring, and the difference will be noticeable in supermarkets. Not only this, but shoppers will notice that strawberries are arriving later this year. Many Brits will have noticed the recent unseasonal temperature drop, which saw conditions resembling those of winter rather than late spring.

This has led to a slower ripening process, giving strawberries more maturing time this year. That is according to the industry body, the British Berry Growers, which says shoppers will notice that strawberries will be significantly larger and sweeter this year. In response to British weather patterns, berry growers are using new technology and eco-friendly methods to ensure that there is the best possible harvest and extend the British strawberry season.

Nick Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers, said: "The start of the British strawberry season is always a highly anticipated moment, and while the cooler spring has meant consumers have had to wait a little longer this year, the quality of this fruit is outstanding.

"An extended maturation period helps ensure shapely strawberries and enhances their flavours during development, with the cooler temperatures allowing our berries to build up incredible sweetness and size."

He added: "Our growers are harvesting berries of significant size, boasting superior quality and good sugar levels. As the phrase goes, good things come to those who wait."

The new techniques being used by British berry growers include vertical farming systems to grow strawberries throughout the year, a practice adopted by Dyson Farming in Lincolnshire.

Commercial manager at Dyson Farming, Lucie Redwood, said: "At Dyson Farming, we engineer the growing environment using advanced robotics, intelligent systems and renewable energy to produce British strawberries all year round."

Meanwhile, Nic Leeds, director at Berry World's Withers Farm in Herefordshire, said: "The result is that consumers will see sweeter, juicier and in some cases, larger berries."

According to data by YouGov, the most popular fruit in the UK is strawberries. The fruit is synonymous with summer for many people, especually when it comes to picnics in the sunshine.