Sweet Success For Sussex Strawberries After Spring Heatwave

Three weeks of sunshine have led to a surplus of strawberries, ensuring Sussex-grown fruit will be in supermarkets in time for Easter.

Image: The Summer Berry Company

The Summer Berry Company, based in Colworth, near Bognor, has announced that the warm weather has enabled it to produce 200 tonnes of strawberries—50 tonnes more than at the same time last year.

Jack Darnes, the company's commercial director, said: "We’re really excited about the boost in strawberry production to kick off the first big harvests of the British season.

"The warm weather, combined with our innovative growing methods, means the plants are healthy and producing lush, sweet-tasting fruit.

"Strawberry plants love the English spring and summer climate; not too hot, not too cold with warm days and cool nights.

"This is why we produce the best strawberries in the world."

Tesco's berry buyer, Callum Baker, said the growth burst would result in an estimated 500,000 punnets of strawberries arriving at its stores in East and West Sussex.

He said the varieties grown were malling centenary and fandango, which were chosen for their "eating quality and flavour".

Mr Baker said: "The arrival in stores of the first spring-grown British strawberries of the year creates a feel-good factor because it signifies the start of the UK fruit season and that summer is on the way.

"But their availability also brings a cheer from shoppers because British-grown strawberries are considered to be the best in the world because of our climate.

"Strawberries taste naturally sweeter when ripened in periods of sunny weather because it boosts their natural sugars.

"Dry conditions also enhance their flavour as the lack of rain helps make the fruit firmer and more flavourful."

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.

Source: The Argus