UK raspberries 2 weeks early, on the shelves

The first UK raspberries hit the shelves today, two weeks earlier than last year. Laurance Olins from British Summer Fruit said this is due to the move to the Berryworld Plus variety Diamond Jubilee, bred by Peter Vinson of Kent – Diamond Jubilee requires less chill so is ahead of Tulameen. The variety Sapphire will follow up in the coming 10 days. A better quality glass house was also used this year

"The outdoor raspberry crop arrived mid-May last year. We are expecting to see volumes of outdoor raspberries for the end of May/start of June (this is weather dependant) as outdoor crops are currently running 2 weeks behind last year," explained Olins.

The berries are destined for Waitrose, buyer Nicki Baggott said: 'It's incredibly unusual to have these ready in March, but a combination of growing techniques and perfect weather means we can sell these juicy delights earlier than ever.'

Just 200kg of the berries are expected this week, but there should be around a tonne produced every week afterwards.