Latest news with #cherry
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Major supermarket super-sizes packs of one summer fruit as heatwaves boost crops
Britain is enjoying its most bountiful cherry harvest in at least three years, thanks to recent warm weather, prompting a major supermarket to introduce larger packs of the fruit. Place UK, a key supplier to Tesco based in Tunstead, Norfolk, described the conditions as having produced a "wonderful crop". In response, Tesco has rolled out new 600g and 1kg cherry packs, priced at £4.50 and £6 respectively. The supermarket said the move aims to provide shoppers with enhanced value compared to earlier season prices, while also bolstering support for growers. 'It's been a really good season for us so far with the warmest spring on record helping to produce a wonderful crop of cherries – easily the best we've seen for at least three years,' Dan Yordanov, head of fresh at Place UK, said. 'This has resulted in an abundance of great-tasting, perfect British cherries being picked at peak ripeness. 'With this above normal crop we are thankful for Tesco's action, which allows us to avoid waste, and to provide more home-grown, highest quality, nutritious British cherries to be enjoyed by the nation's consumers.' Tesco cherry buyer Olivia Amey said the recent heatwaves had created 'the biggest UK cherry yield for at least three years'. Many growers around the country had seen unexpected extra production – about 10 to 15 per cent higher than normal for July, she said. 'The quality of the fruit this year is first class with plump flesh, a firm texture that is juicy and a sweet taste with a slight tartness that perfectly balances the flavour. 'We're very happy to help out our British growers and customers at the same time.' Place UK is one of eight cherry growers across the UK which work with Tesco supplier Driscoll's, with the others based in Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Kent, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders. Tesco said this regional diversity supports a longer season and ensures consistent quality by taking advantage of different microclimates across the UK. The UK cherry industry has changed over the past 20 years, with more and more British growers seeing better yields by using dwarf root stock, grafted onto new tree varieties. These produce smaller trees which can be grown in plastic tunnels, creating a micro climate with temperatures similar to the Mediterranean and protecting the fruit from any inclement British weather. These new smaller cherry trees can now be picked by workers on foot rather than ladders, enabling British cherries to remain competitively priced. British growers are this year set to produce an estimated 8,000 tonnes of cherries – around four times the harvest in 2018, according to Tesco. In 2015, just 559 tonnes were picked in the UK, it added.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warm weather leads to glut of cherries with larger packs on sale at supermarket
Warm weather has led to the UK's biggest cherry yield in at least three years, a supermarket said, as it introduced larger pack sizes of the fruit for sale due to their abundance. Grower and Tesco supplier Place UK, based in Tunstead near Norwich, Norfolk, said the warm weather had led to a 'wonderful crop'. Tesco has introduced larger 600g and 1kg pack sizes of the cherries, priced at £4.50 and £6 respectively. The supermarket said these offer shoppers better value compared to prices at the start of the season and support growers. Dan Yordanov, head of fresh at Place UK, said: 'It's been a really good season for us so far with the warmest spring on record helping to produce a wonderful crop of cherries – easily the best we've seen for at least three years. 'This has resulted in an abundance of great tasting, perfect British cherries being picked at peak ripeness. 'With this above normal crop we are thankful for Tesco's action, which allows us to avoid waste, and to provide more home-grown, highest quality, nutritious British cherries to be enjoyed by the nation's consumers.' Tesco cherry buyer Olivia Amey said: 'The recent heatwaves have created the biggest UK cherry yield for at least three years with many growers around the country seeing unexpected extra production of about 10 to 15% higher than normal for this time of year. 'The quality of the fruit this year is first class with plump flesh, a firm texture that is juicy and a sweet taste with a slight tartness that perfectly balances the flavour. 'We're very happy to help out our British growers and customers at the same time.' Place UK is one of eight cherry growers across the UK which work with Tesco supplier Driscoll's, with the others based in Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Kent, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders. Tesco said this regional diversity supports a longer season and ensures consistent quality by taking advantage of different microclimates across the UK. The UK cherry industry has changed over the past two decades, with more and more British growers seeing better yields by using dwarf root stock, grafted onto new tree varieties. These produce smaller trees which can be grown in plastic tunnels, creating a micro climate with temperatures similar to the Mediterranean and protecting the fruit from any inclement British weather. These new smaller cherry trees can now be picked by workers on foot rather than ladders, enabling British cherries to remain competitively priced. British growers are this year set to produce an estimated 8,000 tonnes of cherries – around four times the harvest in 2018, according to Tesco. In 2015, just 559 tonnes were picked in the UK, it added.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Warm weather leads to glut of cherries with larger packs on sale at supermarket
Warm weather has led to the UK's biggest cherry yield in at least three years, a supermarket said, as it introduced larger pack sizes of the fruit for sale due to their abundance. Grower and Tesco supplier Place UK, based in Tunstead near Norwich, Norfolk, said the warm weather had led to a 'wonderful crop'. Tesco has introduced larger 600g and 1kg pack sizes of the cherries, priced at £4.50 and £6 respectively. The supermarket said these offer shoppers better value compared to prices at the start of the season and support growers. Dan Yordanov, head of fresh at Place UK, said: 'It's been a really good season for us so far with the warmest spring on record helping to produce a wonderful crop of cherries – easily the best we've seen for at least three years. 'This has resulted in an abundance of great tasting, perfect British cherries being picked at peak ripeness. 'With this above normal crop we are thankful for Tesco's action, which allows us to avoid waste, and to provide more home-grown, highest quality, nutritious British cherries to be enjoyed by the nation's consumers.' Tesco cherry buyer Olivia Amey said: 'The recent heatwaves have created the biggest UK cherry yield for at least three years with many growers around the country seeing unexpected extra production of about 10 to 15% higher than normal for this time of year. 'The quality of the fruit this year is first class with plump flesh, a firm texture that is juicy and a sweet taste with a slight tartness that perfectly balances the flavour. 'We're very happy to help out our British growers and customers at the same time.' Place UK is one of eight cherry growers across the UK which work with Tesco supplier Driscoll's, with the others based in Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Kent, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders. Tesco said this regional diversity supports a longer season and ensures consistent quality by taking advantage of different microclimates across the UK. The UK cherry industry has changed over the past two decades, with more and more British growers seeing better yields by using dwarf root stock, grafted onto new tree varieties. These produce smaller trees which can be grown in plastic tunnels, creating a micro climate with temperatures similar to the Mediterranean and protecting the fruit from any inclement British weather. These new smaller cherry trees can now be picked by workers on foot rather than ladders, enabling British cherries to remain competitively priced. British growers are this year set to produce an estimated 8,000 tonnes of cherries – around four times the harvest in 2018, according to Tesco. In 2015, just 559 tonnes were picked in the UK, it added.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Festival Foods unveils record-breaking cherry display in De Pere
DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – Festival Foods is celebrating the peak of cherry season with the largest cherry display in company history, a massive mountain of fresh cherries on display at its De Pere location. The display, unveiled Wednesday, measures nine feet wide, 30 feet long, and six feet tall. Each cherry was hand-picked from Pacific Northwest orchards. NFL Draft in Green Bay exceeds economic impact projects with over $100 million statewide Shoppers who can't make it to the store can view the display on Festival Foods' social media pages and enter a contest by commenting their guess on how many cherries make up the display. The four closest guesses will each win a $50 Festival Foods gift card. The event celebrates what the company calls 'summer's sweetest harvest,' in partnership with Superfresh Growers — a leading grower and shipper of Northwest cherries — and Crazy Fresh, a produce partner to Festival Foods. Wisconsin DNR: Over 5 million fish stocked throughout Great Lakes, inland waters in 2024 Described as 'the diamonds of summer,' each cherry was grown and harvested by family farms in the Pacific Northwest. Dave Gleason, horticulturist and grower with Superfresh Growers, was on-site Wednesday until 5 p.m., offering samples and answering questions from curious shoppers. 'We couldn't be more excited to bring this spectacular cherry display to De Pere,' said Andrew Brehmer, Senior Director of Produce & Floral at Festival Foods. 'It's a testament to our commitment to celebrating high quality seasonal produce. Working alongside Crazy Fresh and Superfresh Growers, we're proud to highlight the story and quality behind every cherry.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Made 'Blockbuster Find' Under George Washington's Mount Vernon Floor
Most people associate George Washington with cherry trees. Supposedly, a young George Washington confessed to his dad that he had damaged a cherry tree with a hatchet. The story is used to stress the importance of honesty. The legend, though, is a myth, invented by a Washington biographer, according to a history of the fable on the Mount Vernon website. But archaeologists made a treasured finding underneath that very house's floor, and it relates to cherries. Mount Vernon was the home of America's first president, and its website says it's one of the most-visited historic sites in the U.S. A July 5 report by Popular Mechanics revisited how archaeologists found "once-forgotten" bottles under a brick floor at Mount Vernon. The pre-Revolutionary War artifacts were "likely filled with cherries" in the mid-1770s and still bore the "scent of cherry blossoms," the magazine noted. The discovery was made in 2024. A news release from Mount Vernon at the time explained that, as "part of the landmark privately funded $40 million Mansion Revitalization Project at George Washington's Mount Vernon, archaeologists have made a significant discovery of two intact European-manufactured bottles in the Mansion cellar." The dark green glass bottles "were found upright and sealed, each containing liquid. The bottle shapes are characteristic of styles from the 1740s - 1750s and were recovered from a pit where they may have been forgotten and eventually buried beneath a brick floor laid in the 1770s," the release says. "Cherries, including stems and pits, were preserved within the liquid contents, which still bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms familiar to residents of the region during the spring season," the release notes. 'As we conduct a historic preservation effort at the iconic home of America's first President and revolutionary hero, we have been deliberate and intentional about carefully excavating areas of potential disruption,' said Mount Vernon President & CEO Doug Bradburn. 'Consequently, we have made a number of useful discoveries including this blockbuster find of two fully intact glass bottles containing liquid that have not been seen since before the war for American independence.' That's not all. The revitalization project unearthed other treasures in the house. Teams "working in the cellar of the Mansion have unearthed an astounding 35 glass bottles from the 18th century in five storage pits. Of the 35 bottles, 29 are intact and contain perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants. The contents of each bottle have been carefully extracted, are under refrigeration at Mount Vernon, and will undergo scientific analysis," according to Mount Vernon. "The bottle shapes are characteristic of styles from the 1740s – 1750s and were recovered from five pits where they may have been forgotten." Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon's principal archaeologist, told NBC 16, 'Finding what is essentially fresh fruit, 250 years later, is pretty spectacular. All the stars sort of have to align in the right manner for that to happen. "Whole pieces of fruit, recognizable as cherries, were found in some of the bottles," the station Made 'Blockbuster Find' Under George Washington's Mount Vernon Floor first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 16, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
