Consumers in the UK will see British-grown strawberries available at Christmas as The Summer Berry Company extends production to a 12-month cycle using LED technology. The producer, based near Chichester, now grows strawberries at a commercial scale throughout the year by recreating spring conditions indoors during the colder months.
The system combines renewable heat and power, LED lighting, and energy storage to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. A combined heat and power plant generates electricity on site, which powers 2,600 LED units. These LEDs provide artificial sunlight, creating conditions similar to April. Heat produced by the LEDs is directed downward to the crop through fans in the units, lowering overall energy use. Greenhouse temperatures are maintained between 18°C and 22°C in winter.
The development shifts production away from reliance on imports between November and March. The company can now supply British strawberries to retailers year-round and reduce imports from Middle Eastern origins that have typically supplied winter demand. Industry expectations include winter fruit of higher quality than standard Egyptian or Spanish imports and a reduction of roughly 400 tonnes of imported volume.
The Summer Berry Company reports it is on track to double its winter production volumes to just over 400 tonnes during the 2025 to 2026 season. The growing area has increased from 1.8 hectares to 3.6 hectares. The year-round operation also provides consistent local employment, maintaining continuous work at the Chichester site for around 20 harvest workers, 15 husbandry workers, five packhouse workers, one student, and an agronomy and management team of about 10 people.
Varieties grown include Malling Ace, Karima, Favori, Florice, Limore One, and Fandango. Retailers scheduled to stock the berries include Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Morrisons.
Bartosz Pinkosz, UK operations director at The Summer Berry Company, said: "We're all familiar with British strawberries at Wimbledon and Royal Ascot but not so used to them being served on Christmas Day after the turkey." He added that "Typically, the demand for winter strawberries has been fulfilled by flying them in from countries like Egypt and Jordan, but we believe our new technology provides a far superior-tasting fruit which is less energy intensive to grow at our farm in West Sussex."
Source: Express & Star
