Growers’ innovation could prove the key to preserving traditional taste

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A £10 million project to ensure climate change doesn’t stop Ribena production is bearing fruit for the first time at the Forest of Dean drinks based company.

Warmer winters have threatened the future of the drink, which was invented over 80 years ago, and uses 90 per cent of Britain’s blackcurrants.

But after a 20-year, £10 million research project scientists have come up with a new berry bred to cope with Britain’s changing climate. UK farmers are now harvesting the new crop of Ben Lawers’ berries, named after a Scottish peak.

The new berry is the result of a partnership between Lucozade Ribena Suntory and research centre the James Hutton Institute.

Blackcurrants are at risk from warmer winters as the bushes need a ‘winter chill’ to bear fruit come the following summer.

Growers faced moving the crop to Scotland or adapting the process known as vernalisation to shorter milder chilling.

Around 75,000 bushes of the new blackcurrants are fruiting for the first time this year, as farmers harvest 10,000 tonnes of blackcurrants during July and August.

Jo Hilditch, of Whittern Farms in Lyonshall, Herefordshire, is head of the Blackcurrant Foundation and has grown the new berries. She said: ”We’re looking forward to a lovely sweet crop that will deliver the distinctive taste Ribena fans know and love.”

It is also investing £500,000 to continue the research and Lucozade Ribena Suntory agronomist Harriet Prosser said: “Thanks to continued hard work and research, this breed of blackcurrant is now ready for juicing on a large scale to produce that classic Ribena taste. Harvest’s always the most exciting time of year but this time it promises to be doubly rewarding. This year’s weather’s demonstrated why we need to be on the front-foot in adapting to a changing climate.”