British blueberry season is now in full swing, with the recent warm sunny weather and high levels of pollination helping blueberries to taste sweeter with more available earlier in the season.
Sunlight hours in June were above average and this created more photosynthesis which helped boost the natural sugar content of British blueberries.
The warmer weather earlier in the year has also been great news for pollinators like bees. Good early pollination means blueberries are available sooner and they are in strong supply.
In fact, twice as many British blueberries were predicted to be picked in the first week of August compared to the same week last year.
Appetite for British blueberries continues to grow with over 4,600 tonnes bought by Brits last year, equal in weight to 360 London double decker buses – with the total value of all blueberries bought by Brits worth £481 million to the UK economy.
Nick Marston, Chairman of British Summer Fruits, the industry body that represents 95 per cent of berries supplied to UK supermarkets, said: “We have enjoyed bright sunny days throughout June and July which has helped British blueberries to produce high natural sugars overnight, making them sweeter.
“Blueberries have become renowned for their amazing health benefits and as farms continue to improve growing techniques with late cropping varieties to extend the season we can offer fresh home grown blueberries for longer.”
Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) are the most popular fruit in British shopping baskets with a fruit category market share of 27 per cent.
n British Berry Growers is sharing its 90-plus delicious recipes which offer a mix of classic and experimental creations that can be used to celebrate the height of British berry season at www.lovefreshberries.co.uk/recipes
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