‘We've never seen anything like it': Surprise for shoppers buying supermarket strawberries
Summer Berry Company operations director Bartosz Pinkosz said strawberries grown at its farm in Colworth, West Sussex, were 20 per cent larger than normal due to unusual weather patterns.
It comes after the Met Office said April was the UK's sunniest since records began in 1910, with a total of 228.9 sunshine hours.
Mr Pinkosz said he had 'never seen anything like it'. 'We had the darkest January and February since the 70s, but then the brightest March and April since 1910.
'From March onwards, it was really kind of perfect for tunnel strawberries. The berries are between 10 per cent and 20 per cent larger,' he told The Guardian.
Amelia McLean, director of Kent-based Hugh Lowe Farms, added: 'This year's weather has already produced berries that not only look fantastic but are also sweet and full of flavour.'
Typically, strawberry season starts in May and peaks around June or July, but the recent sunny spells mean the British-grown fruit will be in supermarkets sooner.
They take anywhere from six to 11 months until they are ready to pick, depending on whether they are grown in a glasshouse or tunnel.
Strawberries are sweeter when days are bright and nights are cool, which allows the fruit to rest overnight and use more plentiful energy gained during the day to produce natural sugars.
Nick Marston, chair of British Berry Growers, said: 'This year's early season strawberries are looking exceptional in both flavour and form.
'The warm weather, high light levels, and active pollination have come together beautifully. We're expecting a strong yield and outstanding taste quality this season.'
Last year, The Summer Berry Company, together with another grower, Wicks Farm - both based in West Sussex - became the first UK growers to produce commercial quantities of strawberries all year long.
They produced 38 tonnes of the fruit for the festive period, an increase of 40 per cent on the same period in 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What will the weather be like for Notting Hill Carnival?
It is one of the biggest parties of the year seen in the capital every year. And now with just days to go before the Notting Hill Carnival for 2025, all eyes are on whether the sun will shine down on the festivities. Amidst murmurs of cancellation and ticketing issues, the 58th edition of the Notting Hill Carnival is still going ahead and promises to be as emphatically joyful as ever. Europe's biggest street party will kick off on Saturday, bringing its parades, floats, and processions along the three-and-a-half mile route. The carnival generates as much as £300 million for the London economy. But it has never been about the money. Since its inception in 1966, Notting Hill Carnival has been dedicated to celebrating British Caribbean culture, having been created as a response to racism directed at the Windrush generation. The colour-filled weekend will take place over the bank holiday weekend, but if you are heading down and starting to plan outfits, this is what the weather is looking like for the duration at the moment, according to the experts at AccuWeather: Saturday August 23 The Great British weather is likely to hold out, with only 10% chance of rain at its highest peak. Generally speaking, you can expect sunny intervals changing to overcast by the late morning. There will also be light winds through the day. Temperatures will reach highs of 21C with a maximum UV outage of 6, despite the cloud cover. Sunday August 24 It's looking brighter on Sunday, with highs of 22C and sunny intervals expected all day. Expect some cloud cover throughout the day, nonetheless, with a UV outage of maximum 5 and some 'gentle winds'. Monday August 25 There's more sunshine and dry weather expected throughout the day, with heavier cloud sweeping in from 7pm on Monday. With highs of 24C, the sun's strength will continue after the weekend to reach a maximum UV index of 6.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hedge funds picked WH Smith as a top short before share slump, Hazeltree data shows
By Nell Mackenzie LONDON (Reuters) -Hedge funds and speculators picked WH Smith as their top target for short selling in July, before the British travel retailer announced an accounting error on Thursday that sent its shares tumbling more than 45%. WH Smith lowered its annual profit outlook on Thursday after a review revealed earnings had been overstated in its North America division. Speculators in July picked WH Smith as their top target among UK and European small-cap stocks for bets on a share price drop, a research report from Hazeltree also on Thursday showed. Hedge funds that had to disclose such bets in August to the UK regulator's public filings because of their size included Citadel Advisors and Man Group. Analysts have cut target prices for WH Smith's stock and have pointed to how mounting debt has weighed on the company's cash reserves, compounding pressures from global economic uncertainty affecting the travel sector. A financial review identified an overstatement of around 30 million pounds ($40 million) in expected headline trading profit, WH Smith said, mainly due to supplier income in North America being booked too early. WH Smith, which in June sold its UK high street business to become purely a travel retailer, has been rapidly expanding in North America, which contributed about 20% of group revenue in fiscal 2024. The retailer said it now expects group pre-tax profit for the year ending August 31 to be around 110 million pounds, compared to analysts' estimates of 156.9 million pounds, according to LSEG data. Entertainment ticket sales companies, luxury drinks companies and semi-conductor manufacturers saw large portions of their stocks borrowed for the purpose of shorting, Hazeltree's Shortside Crowdedness Report showed. It gathers data from 700 asset managers, covering 15,000 stocks globally. Citadel and Man Group declined to comment. WH Smith did not immediately respond.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
UK SMEs count cost of currency volatility, average £53k lost in 2025
Extreme swings in exchange rates are forcing UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to rethink how they manage foreign transactions, with many shifting away from the US dollar. According to new data from independent SME funder Bibby Financial Services (BFS), 54% of UK SMEs trading overseas say they have been hit by volatile currency movements in the past year, losing an average of more than £53,000. More than half (53%) reported losses of up to £20,000, a figure that rises to 72% among the smallest firms employing fewer than ten people. The BFS Trading Places report, which surveyed over 500 SMEs, found that services companies have borne the brunt of recent turbulence. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of service-sector firms said they had suffered losses from FX volatility — 11 percentage points higher than the SME average. This environment is prompting significant changes in FX management. Nearly six in 10 SMEs (58%) have revised their strategies to mitigate risk, while 59% are choosing to transact in euros or sterling to avoid exposure to dollar fluctuations. The report also highlights a pivot in trade relationships, with 60% of SMEs now focusing more heavily on European partners. Michael McGowan, Managing Director of Bibby Foreign Exchange, warned that the risks are particularly acute for smaller firms. 'Businesses are navigating a period of sustained currency volatility not seen since the Great Depression,' he said. 'For SMEs trading internationally, a poorly timed transaction can significantly erode margins, leaving smaller firms especially exposed.' The Bibby study draws on responses from more than 500 UK SME owners and decision-makers across manufacturing, construction, wholesale, transport, retail and services. The survey was carried out by independent research firm Critical Research between 15–30 May 2025. Its release comes alongside fresh UK Trade in Numbers data from the Department for Business and Trade, which reported a 3% year-on-year increase in the value of total UK trade, reaching £1,820.2 billion in the 12 months to June 2025. "UK SMEs count cost of currency volatility, average £53k lost in 2025" was originally created and published by Leasing Life, 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. Sign in to access your portfolio
