Sunshine and above-average temperatures for April have boosted UK outdoor strawberry production this week, with the first commercial quantities starting to arrive in supermarkets.
From tomorrow, punnets will begin to hit Tesco shelves in Surrey, Kent, Herefordshire, and some London stores, with nearly half of the country to follow next week. The supermarket will receive 300 tons of UK-grown fruit next week, roughly one million punnets, up by more than 100 per cent compared to three weeks ago. The whole of the UK is set to be supplied by mid-May. The shift means retailers will rely less on Spanish and Moroccan imports in the coming weeks.
© Tesco
"Next week marks a step forward in the transition to British supply, with volumes of UK strawberries into Tesco set to increase by more than double since the beginning of April. Based on the extra sunshine we've just had and the good weather forecast over the next few days, we predict our total UK strawberry volume to be around 40 per cent next week."
"If the weather stays relatively good from now on, then we'll see UK-wide availability of British-grown strawberries by mid-May," said Tesco strawberry buyer Callum Baker.
One grower reporting higher strawberry production this week is Hall Hunter, which has farms near Wokingham and Wargrave in Berkshire, and near Godalming in Surrey. Current weather conditions are supporting production levels.
"Thanks to these conditions, we're expecting a 30 per cent increase in strawberries coming off our farms. It's the start of the UK strawberry season, and we expect these conditions to continue," said Hall Hunter Commercial Director Neil Donaldson.
The strawberry variety going into Tesco stores is Lady Emma. The 400g punnets of UK-grown strawberries will retail at £2.50 each.
For more information:
Tesco
Tel: +44 (0) 7595 441 036
www.tescoplc.com
