Waitrose branches in Scotland are taking advantage of the longer Scottish cherry growing season and switching their whole cherry assortment to Scottish-produced, writes Kirsteen Paterson. The retailer is expecting a four-fold year-on-year increase in sales of cherries this summer.
The supermarket says Scottish cherries are taking off thanks to new types of orchards, new varieties, and the climate. Waitrose fruit buyer Nicki Baggott said: “The cherry industry in Scotland is relatively young, meaning there is a big potential for growth.”
Waitrose buys its Scottish cherries from farms working with Berry Gardens, the leading supplier of the fruit in the UK.
Growers include Ross Mitchell from Castleton Farm in Kincardineshire, Britain’s most northerly cherry orchard, with most clustered around Perthshire and Tayside.
Cherry orchards do not hit full maturity until their seventh year. Because most Scottish sites are just four or five years old, farmers predict a strong increase in yields in the next two years.
Baggott said: “Our aim is to give our customers home-grown product and grow the industry by stretching the UK season as long as possible.” Berry Gardens managing director Nick Marston said: “Cherries are a relatively new crop to Scotland.
“New, smaller trees are available, which means we are able to protect the orchards in polytunnels while taking advantage of the high levels of daylight during the Scottish summer to produce great tasting local cherries well into September.”
Source: thenational.scot
