Latest news with #HughLoweFarms
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
What is your favourite fruit?
We know food shopping with your parents can be a bore, but next time you are in the fruit and veg section, take a quick look at the may notice this spring's bumper crop of strawberries are HUGE!According to UK farmers, the "glorious spring weather" has meant the strawberry season is off to a "stonking start". According to The Met Office, this spring is currently one of the driest and warmest in over a century, and that has been good news for some fruit growers. We wat to hear from you about your favorite fruits - is it "stonking" strawberries or something else? Join in our vote and leave us a comment below. Marion Regan, who works for Hugh Lowe Farms, who provide Wimbledon with their famous strawberries, said this year's crop were sweeter than ever. Warm days and cool nights are known to make strawberries sweeter as the lower night temperatures allow them to rest and put the energy they have gained during the day into producing more natural we wonder if strawberries are top of the shops when it comes to your favourite fruit. Why not choose which fruits you like snacking on best from our list below. You can upvote three different fruits so take your time to decide which is your main squeeze...! And if your favourite isn't on the list, choose "Something else" and let us know what we have missed.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘We've never seen anything like it': Farmers astounded by strawberries hitting UK supermarkets this summer
Giant strawberries that 'cannot fit in your mouth' are set to hit UK supermarket shelves this summer, fruit farmers said. 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.
ITV News
19-05-2025
- Climate
- ITV News
Why your strawberries are going to be bigger and sweeter this year
However you like to eat your strawberries - with cream, sugar, or as Sir Andy Murray once quipped "with my fingers" - this season is set to be one the sweetest and most shapely on record. The bumper harvest of strawberries is down to an unusually sunny spring, with the highest levels recorded by the Met Office in more than 100 years, paired with some cooler weather, which has allowed the crop to develop slowly with sweeter results. Heightened bee activity during March and April has also resulted in excellent pollination - an essential factor in producing the classic strawberry shape. Marion Regan from the Kent-based Hugh Lowe Farms praised the "glorious spring this year which has contributed to a really good crop of the fruit." "We have been noticing that this year's berries were a good size so far but that the most marked thing was their sweetness and full flavour," she said. Peter Judge from British Berry Growers added this year's weather conditions have allowed the crops to deveop slowly. "This has supported the creation of strong root systems, which create a really strong engine for the plants to grow fantastic fruit with excellent levels of natural sugars," he added. Hugh Lowe Farms count Wimbledon tennis among one of their clients, with those attending likely to be the benefactors of this year's crop - with the iconic of pairing of cream. British Berry Growers also stress this year's harvest is producing a wide variety of strawberries with differing flavour profiles. "I'd encourage consumers to look out for the varieties on packs and try something new this year. There's so much choice now that there really is a strawberry for every palate," said Judge. The high light levels and mild weather in the early stages of spring also brought the crop forward by around seven days compared to other years, according to growers. But they also say they expect to see this continue throughout the season. Marion Regan added: "Given that we are at the front end of the season we're excited to see this trend continue to deliver fantastic berries to supermarket shelves from now until November.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘We've never seen anything like it': Surprise for shoppers buying supermarket strawberries
Giant strawberries that 'cannot fit in your mouth' are set to hit UK supermarket shelves this summer, fruit farmers said. 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.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘We've never seen anything like it': Surprise for shoppers buying supermarket strawberries
Giant strawberries that 'cannot fit in your mouth' are set to hit UK supermarket shelves this summer, fruit farmers said. 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.
