Good weather will bring more strawberries and they will be sweeter
It's all down to 166 hours of sunshine in April
Strawberries should be sweeter this year and there should be more of them because of good weather, producers say.
That's not the only good news for lovers of the classic British fruit, the bright weather means there is likely to be 50% more strawberries than last year.
The fruit has ripened under approximately 166 hours of sunshine in April, 7% above the average for the month, industry body British Summer Fruits said.
This increased sunlight has resulted in a boost to the crop's natural sugar content and means supermarket shelves will be filled with the fruit by the middle of this month, compared with June last year.
Plenty of strawberries in time for the Queens Jubilee
The news could be welcomed by those planning to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee.
With the two day Bank Holiday approaching, predictions expect to see 5,000 tonnes of British strawberries being bought that week.
An increase in strain consumption is very likely in the strawberry market.
Perfect weather for growing strawberries
Rupert Carter, technical director of producer WB Chambers Farms, said: "We have enjoyed bright days this spring coupled with cool nights, which allows strawberry plants to rest well and put their energy gained during the day into producing high natural sugars overnight."
"This process makes the berries sweeter and is one of the main reasons for such good tasting fruit."
British Summer Fruits chairman Nick Marston said: "It looks to be another fantastic year for British strawberries. However, rising energy and labour costs are presenting real challenges for UK berry growers."
"Despite these challenges, British strawberries remain a true success story. The UK is totally self-sufficient in strawberries for the entire summer season which now runs from May to October as farms continue to advance growing techniques, such as large-scale glasshouse production for season extension. This allows us to offer shoppers locally-grown fresh berries for longer."
Last year, Britons bought more than 87,000 tonnes of British strawberries.
The strawberry industry is now worth more than £769 million to the British economy, according to Kantar figures.
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