Sunny spring has led to crop of ‘bigger, sweeter, juicier' British cherries
The sunny spring weather has created a crop of "bigger, sweeter and juicier" British cherries, growers have said. The good weather has also produced the largest predicted yield for three years, which Tesco says will enable it to sell solely UK-grown cherries from early July.
The supermarket's cherry buyer, Olivia Amey, said: "The extra sunshine and daylight hours have played a major part in the quality of the fruit we've been sampling from around the country over the last few weeks and we know customers are going to be impressed. It's also meant that overall volume is up early in the season, meaning that we'll be able to meet the usual summer demand for cherries solely with British produce.
"We're also working with UK growers to extend the season by looking at new varieties of both early and late ripening cherries that can deliver a classic British-grown taste – fleshy, firm, plump, and fit to burst with a great juicy surge of sweetness." British growers are set to produce an estimated 8,000 tonnes of cherries – four times the harvest of 2018 and 14 times the yield of 559 tonnes in 2015.
READ MORE: London Underground live as four Tube lines delayed or suspended in rush hour
READ MORE: King Charles knew the Queen had died after hearing just two heartbreaking words
Tom Hulme, managing director of growers AC Hulme based near Canterbury, Kent, said this year's cherry season will last 10 weeks, which is double the length of the season five years ago. He explained the country's cherry industry has been transformed by the use of dwarf root stock, grafted on to new tree varieties.
He said these produce smaller trees which can be grown in plastic tunnels, creating a micro climate with temperatures similar to the Mediterranean and protecting them from the variable British weather. The smaller trees can also be picked by workers on foot rather than ladders, therefore reducing costs.
Mr Hulme said: "The British cherry industry is moving at pace again now and new varieties are being brought in that are not only better suited to the British climate to improve quality and taste, but also to help us extend the growing season. Over the last few years we have brought in some exciting early season varieties such as sweet aryana and grace star, as well as exploring later season cherries such as kir rosso which will extend the current season by an extra 10 days.
"But there are several other innovations being used to extend the UK season, such as controlling air conditions in storing rooms post-harvest to improve shelf-life, and also using different types of poly tunnels to accelerate and delay ripening cherries through limiting sunlight. Cherries are very susceptible to the weather and if it is too rainy or too humid the fruit suffers, but the good news is that this year we have had pretty decent growing conditions and we are looking forward to a nice long season with the best quality fruit for several years."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK vehicle production down by a third in May, as US tariffs hit
UK car and commercial vehicle production fell for the fifth consecutive month in May, down 32.8% to 49,810 units, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Excluding 2020, when Covid lockdowns saw factories shuttered or running at greatly reduced capacity, it was the lowest performance for the month since 1949. Year to date, total output is down 12.9% on 2024, to 348,226, the lowest since 1953. Car production declined by 31.5% in the month. The SMMT said the result was 'due primarily to ongoing model changeovers, restructuring and the impact of US tariffs'. Commercial vehicle output was also down sharply, by 53.6% to 2,087 units, as the closure of one of the UK's CV plants continues to impact comparisons with last year. Car production for export fell by 27.8%, although a 42.1% fall in output for the smaller domestic market meant exports comprised a larger share of production, up to 78.5%. Shipments to the EU and US, the UK's two largest markets, fell by 22.5% and 55.4% respectively with the US share of exports declining from 18.2% to 11.3%. This was in large part due to the imposition by the US administration of supplementary 25% Section 232 tariffs on cars from March which depressed demand instantly, forcing many manufacturers to stop shipments. However, with the trade agreement negotiated by government due to come into effect before the end of June, this should 'hopefully be a short-lived constraint', the SMMT said. Declines were also recorded in exports to China and Turkey, down 11.5% and 51.0% respectively. Export volumes of vans, buses, coaches, taxis and trucks also declined in May, down by 71.7% year on year. The EU remained overwhelmingly the sector's biggest customer, accounting for 94.7% of exports, although volumes fell -72.1%. As a result, the export share of overall commercial vehicle production fell from 67.9% to 41.4%, with the domestic market now the primary destination for UK commercial vehicle output.3 Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: 'While 2025 has proved to be an incredibly challenging year for UK automotive production, there is the beginning of some optimism for the future. 'Confirmed trade deals with crucial markets, especially the US and a more positive relationship with the EU, as well as government strategies on industry and trade that recognise the critical role the sector plays in driving economic growth, should help recovery. With rapid implementation, particularly on the energy costs constraining our competitiveness, the UK can deliver the jobs, growth and decarbonisation that is desperately needed.' "UK vehicle production down by a third in May, as US tariffs hit " was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Labour MPs demand ‘reset' in relations with Number 10 after welfare U-turn
Labour MPs have called for a reset in relations with Downing Street as the fallout from the welfare rebellion threatens to cause lasting damage. A late-night climbdown on welfare cuts from Number 10 may have seen off the threat of Sir Keir Starmer's first major Commons defeat, with rebels suggesting they now expect the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to pass its first hurdle on July 1. But speaking to the PA news agency, a number of Labour backbenchers expressed deeper frustration with how Downing Street has handled its backbenchers since last year's election. One warned that discontent and low morale among MPs would 'continue to fester' without a 'wider reset' in relations between Number 10 and the Parliamentary Labour Party after 'a year of poor party management'. Another accused decision-makers in Government of operating as an 'exclusive club' and showing 'disregard' for both backbenchers and experts outside Westminster. They told PA: 'I think the Government have got to stop pretending they know everything and start listening, because they might learn something.' Several backbenchers pointed to the Prime Minister's words at a press conference on Wednesday, in which he referred to keeping a 'focus on the change that we want to bring about' rather than the 'noises off'. Although Government sources suggested Sir Keir was talking in more general terms, rebels have taken his 'noises off' comment as referring to them. One said: 'A lot of colleagues are sickened at language being used, from the PM's 'noises off' to the senior source saying they thought Keir and Morgan (McSweeney, the Prime Minister's chief of staff) had cleansed the party of self-indulgent rubbish.' But their frustration is not shared by all Labour backbenchers, with others suggesting Friday's U-turn on welfare cuts shows Downing Street is willing to listen. One told PA: 'They're a new team, they're a year in and occasionally teams do need to have a moment where things come to a head and they learn.' Arguing that some backbenchers needed to 'chill out and have a cup of tea', they added they thought the Prime Minister had 'clocked that it's important that we work as part of a team. 'All of us want him to succeed and all of us want the Government to succeed,' they said. A Number 10 spokesman insisted on Friday that the Prime Minister 'remains fully committed to engaging with parliamentarians'.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kate meets Melinda French Gates a week after missing Royal Ascot
The Princess of Wales has returned to in-person duties a week after missing Royal Ascot by holding a meeting with Melinda French Gates. Kate and husband William invited Ms Gates to Windsor Castle on Wednesday where the trio are understood to have discussed their philanthropic work. The royal couple have made it onto Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential philanthropists. William and Kate were named in the Innovators category where they were hailed by the US publication for modernising royal philanthropy. Their Royal Foundation supports a number of their projects, including Kate's early years work and William's fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Ms Gates, also named as a leading philanthropist by the magazine, is the former wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and established Pivotal in 2015 to accelerate social progress through investments. The meeting was featured in the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements, which stated: 'The Prince and Princess of Wales, Joint Patrons, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this afternoon received Ms Melinda French Gates (Founder, Pivotal) at Windsor Castle.' In a surprise move last Wednesday, Kate missed Royal Ascot for the second successive year as she seeks the right balance following her treatment for cancer. Since announcing in January she is in remission, the princess has been gradually returning to public duties and her appearances had increased in recent weeks. She was last seen in public on June 16 attending the annual Order of the Garter service with senior royals.
