Latest news with #S&AProduce
The Guardian
26-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Excellent size': UK blueberry crop up nearly a quarter after warm spring
British blueberries are the latest fruit to benefit from the warmest spring on record, with the harvest up by almost a quarter so far this year. Growers say the weather has produced an early crop with more and larger berries, while new varieties can bring higher yields and better resilience. About 5,133 tonnes are expected by the end of August, up significantly from almost 4,187 tonnes by the same point last year. Sales of the spherical fruit are already 9% ahead year on year as growing awareness of the health properties and a healthy crop bolster demand. Daniel Martin, the group commercial director at S&A Produce, says: 'This blueberry season has seen a really positive early start, about two weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to strong light levels and an absence of rain. 'As a result, we're seeing excellent fruit size and nice, even ripening across the crop. In summary, we are optimistic about the season and expect to see excellent flavour and shelf life from this year's crop.' The harvest is also being aided by new technology as growers invest in automated picking and other methods to reduce labour costs and improve efficiency. Jim Floor, the managing director of Hall Hunter, one of the UK's leading blueberry growers, said the company now used machines to harvest 10% of its crop, and this was expected to rise to 30% next year – with the rest picked by hand. Blueberries are leading the technology push, with the more delicate strawberries, raspberries and blackberries now all picked by hand at Hall Hunter. 'When it comes to robotic fruit picking, we're seeing steady and encouraging progress from robotics and automation companies. However, the technology isn't quite ready for widespread commercial adoption just yet,' Floor said. The blockbuster blueberry summer comes hot on the heels of a perfect spring for strawberries. The sunny, very dry spring, with the warmest start to May on record, led to a glut of early strawberries, aubergines and tomatoes at the start of May. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Growers said they were producing 'giant' 50g strawberries you 'cannot fit in your mouth'. However, the average was a more modest 30g. Nick Marston, the chair of the industry body British Berry Growers, said that all UK berry crops, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, were up by about 25% so far thanks to 'cracking weather' in June that had helped ripen crops that had developed well during the cooler start to the spring. 'The weather has been very beneficial for all berry crops,' he said. However, Marston said it was not clear if the overall berry harvest for the year would be up by that amount as some fruit would have just have been harvested earlier than usual and picking might tail off depending on conditions.
The Guardian
26-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Excellent size': UK blueberry crop up nearly a quarter after warm spring
British blueberries are the latest fruit to benefit from the warmest spring on record, with the harvest up by almost a quarter so far this year. Growers say the weather has produced an early crop with more and larger berries, while new varieties can bring higher yields and better resilience. About 5,133 tonnes are expected by the end of August, up significantly from almost 4,187 tonnes by the same point last year. Sales of the spherical fruit are already 9% ahead year on year as growing awareness of the health properties and a healthy crop bolster demand. Daniel Martin, the group commercial director at S&A Produce, says: 'This blueberry season has seen a really positive early start, about two weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to strong light levels and an absence of rain. 'As a result, we're seeing excellent fruit size and nice, even ripening across the crop. In summary, we are optimistic about the season and expect to see excellent flavour and shelf life from this year's crop.' The harvest is also being aided by new technology as growers invest in automated picking and other methods to reduce labour costs and improve efficiency. Jim Floor, the managing director of Hall Hunter, one of the UK's leading blueberry growers, said the company now used machines to harvest 10% of its crop, and this was expected to rise to 30% next year – with the rest picked by hand. Blueberries are leading the technology push, with the more delicate strawberries, raspberries and blackberries now all picked by hand at Hall Hunter. 'When it comes to robotic fruit picking, we're seeing steady and encouraging progress from robotics and automation companies. However, the technology isn't quite ready for widespread commercial adoption just yet,' Floor said. The blockbuster blueberry summer comes hot on the heels of a perfect spring for strawberries. The sunny, very dry spring, with the warmest start to May on record, led to a glut of early strawberries, aubergines and tomatoes at the start of May. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Growers said they were producing 'giant' 50g strawberries you 'cannot fit in your mouth'. However, the average was a more modest 30g. Nick Marston, the chair of the industry body British Berry Growers, said that all UK berry crops, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, were up by about 25% so far thanks to 'cracking weather' in June that had helped ripen crops that had developed well during the cooler start to the spring. 'The weather has been very beneficial for all berry crops,' he said. However, Marston said it was not clear if the overall berry harvest for the year would be up by that amount as some fruit would have just have been harvested earlier than usual and picking might tail off depending on conditions.
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Expert explains why British strawberries will taste very different this summer
Strawberry lovers can expect to pick up an even more delicious punnet this season, with experts revealing that this springtime has provided the perfect conditions for the popular fragrant fruit to thrive Balmy summer days can be made all the more heavenly with a big bowl of fresh strawberries, and this year, we're in for a real treat. According to experts, British strawberries are all set to be "sweeter and more shapely" than ever this season, with the exceptional flavour profile of the 2025 yield benefiting from unusually high levels of sunshine, as well as heightened bee activity. This means your favourite fragrant fruit will be arriving on supermarket shelves packed with even more scrumptious flavour than usual. All you'll need is a refreshing scoop of ice cream, or indeed, a glass of Pimm's, depending on your mood. But why can we expect such a particularly moreish crop this year, and what goes into growing the perfect strawberry? British Berry Growers, the body representing 95 per cent of all berries grown and sold in the UK, says that warm days and cool nights have provided the ideal conditions for this quintessentially British fruit to thrive, with the Met Office recording the highest levels of sunshine in 100 years. This has sweetened the flavour profile of the berries, while increased pollination in March and April, due to thriving bee activity, means you can expect to plenty of classically shaped strawberries. According to growers, high light levels and mild weather in early spring mean the crop has also been brought forward by around seven days compared to previous years, resulting in punnets landing on shelves earlier than expected. Peter Judge, Group Managing Director at S&A Produce & Director at British Berry Growers, explained: "The start of the British strawberry season is always a highly anticipated time, and this year is no exception. The warmer, sunnier bursts interspersed with cooler snaps earlier in the year allowed the crop to develop 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. "One of the amazing things about our UK growers is the sheer variety of strawberries they produce. 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." Meanwhile Jill Witheyman, Head of Marketing at Angus Soft Fruits, added: "A strong season like this is not just great for consumers, it's vital from a grower's business perspective too. High-quality fruit and consistent yields help us meet customer demand, maintain strong relationships with our buyers – the supermarkets - and reinforce our reputation for excellence. Healthy, thriving crops are also more efficient to manage and harvest, supporting both the sustainability and long-term growth of our farms.' And Amelia McLean, Director of Kent-based Hugh Lowe Farms, commented: "This year's weather has already produced berries that not only look fantastic but are also sweet and full of flavour. Given that we are at the front end of the season we're excited to see this trend continue to deliver premium berries to supermarket shelves this summer." Meanwhile, Nick Marston, Chairman of British Berry Growers, stated: ' 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.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Giant strawberries ‘you cannot fit in your mouth' coming to supermarkets
Giant strawberries you 'cannot fit in your mouth' are coming to supermarket shelves after the perfect weather for growing the crop. A combination of bountiful sunshine and colder nights in recent months has led to a crop of strawberries around 10pc bigger than usual. Bartosz Pinkosz of the Summer Berry Company, which supplies major retailers, said his farm in West Sussex was producing berries you 'cannot fit in your mouth'. Mr Pinkosz told The Guardian: 'I have genuinely never seen a harvest produce such large berries consistently. Some are supersized – growing to the size of plums or even kiwi fruits.' Peter Judge, group managing director of S&A Produce, the UK's biggest independent strawberry grower, said recent weather had been 'phenomenal' for the berries. A dull and cold March has allowed plants to develop strong root systems, while alternating periods of bright weather and cooler nights mean they have absorbed plenty of sunshine without being 'overstressed' by hotter weather. He said: 'That gives us better quality fruit, because the cold weather gives flavour to the strawberries, and the burst of sun gives us much bigger fruit.' Strawberries are also being bred to be bigger to match consumer tastes, Mr Judge said. 'New genetics are also paying a part. Of course, genetics have been developed and designed based on what customers want, which is bigger fruit.' Fruits grown at the start of the harvest at S&A's farms, which supplies one in seven of the UK's strawberries, indicate that the incoming crop will yield berries weighing around 45g on average – almost twice the normal 25g. 'If you like a 400-gram punnet and you like big berries, you'll have a few less in there,' Mr Judge said. As for how to approach them, Mr Judge said: 'Would these strawberries be too big to eat? I have a particularly big mouth, so it's probably okay for me. People might get to nibble them rather than bite them. 'But the reality is, I don't worry about size. I worry about flavour as a grower. And what we want is fantastic flavour, irrespective of size. The season has started well.' The strong crop comes just in time for Wimbledon Championships, the tennis tournament known for its long association with strawberries and cream. Each year, more than 38.4 tonnes of strawberries – or nearly 2m individual berries – are eaten during the competition.
