Cherries as big as plums in Britain’s bumper year
IF YOU like cherries you’re in luck – British growers of the fruit have had their best year in decades.
Near-perfect conditions have produced one of the largest crops on record, with 20 per cent more home-grown cherries than in 2014.
Thanks to warm days, cold nights and little rain growers are enjoying a bumper yield which has seen cherries the size of plums. Some have even predicted that the fruit could be ‘the new strawberry’.
British cherries are bigger than imported ones because growers can leave them on the tree for longer. That also gives them a better flavour and darker skin.
M&S, which sells a quarter of all the cherries in the UK, has announced that for the first time in its history 100 per cent of its cherries are grown and produced here.
The fruit is grown in Kent, Herefordshire and Scotland, and M&S says it has been able to extend the British season – which runs from April until September – with Scottish cherries, the last in season in the northern hemisphere.
‘We’ve worked with our growers to ensure the cherries are the plumpest, most delicious fruit,’ said Shaz Rehman, the company’s fruit buyer.
‘Not only do we have a bumper crop but we’re also able to provide British for longer than ever thanks to our farmers up in Scotland who have helped us to extend the season.’
As well as being used in cheesecakes and fruit salads, the sweet fruits which contain fibre and vitamin C have gained popularity as an on-the-go snack. They also contain powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and anthocyanins, which help prevent cancer, and natural melatonin which can help with sleep and bodily regeneration.
Last month the Government announced £1.9million funding towards a scheme which would allow farmers to grow more British fruit regardless of adverse weather conditions.
By identifying the most resilient types of fruit among thousands of varieties, scientists at the National Fruit Collection in Faversham, Kent, plan to extend their seasons.
It would mean cherries and plums that can flourish in heavy rain and apples that can withstand drought.