British strawberry season commences early

British strawberry growers are excited to announce that the much-anticipated British strawberry season is now here. Warmer and sunnier April weather has meant that the season has started around a week earlier this year and strawberry lovers can now buy their favourite British fruit in supermarkets (in-store and online) around the country.

Many social events might be off the calendar this summer, but British strawberries can be enjoyed at home or in the garden as part of classic summer moments. From garden picnics or BBQs, to Wimbledon-inspired strawberries and cream from the comfort of your couch, British strawberries are here to remind everyone that despite recent challenges summer has arrived. The start of season is also great news for Brits looking to boost their health and immunity. Gram for gram, strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, British Summer Fruits’ public health nutritionist, explained: “Berries are a fantastic snack that offer numerous health benefits. Not only is the whole strawberry rich in antioxidants, but the red fleshy part is also abundant in vitamin C. In fact, eating just nine strawberries (108g) can provide all of your recommended daily vitamin C intake.”

Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) have the biggest market share of all fruit grown in the UK, making up an impressive 22.8 percent, and this has pushed the value of the berry industry over £1.5 billion. Fresh berries are the most popular fruit item in shoppers’ baskets with strawberries topping the list.

During the past year, nearly 150,000 tonnes of strawberries were sold in the UK, that’s the equivalent to the weight of 1.67 million average men. Despite the very different supermarket shopping experience right now, berry growers are confident that British berry sales will remain strong this year.

Nick Marston, Chairman of British Summer Fruits, the industry body that represents 95 percent of berries supplied to UK supermarkets said: “Like most industries facing challenges during this unprecedented time, our growers have had to overcome their own issues to ensure our loved British berries are available to the UK public. We are sure that consumers will continue to choose fresh British berries as part of their shop to enjoy and stay healthy. And in doing so, they’ll help to safeguard the future of our important British berry industry.”