Strawberries

Britain has the perfect climate to grow the best flavoured strawberries in the world.

They are delicious eaten on their own or served with cream. They also provide the basis for the most stunning desserts. The added bonus is they are extremely healthy to eat, being rich in vitamin C, a good source of folic acid and they are high in fibre.

The British strawberry season begins with glasshouse production in mid-April, followed by tunnel protected fruit in May and extends to outdoor main crop in June. The process continues and in the autumn the strawberries are again protected from bad weather and frosts. This effort allows consumers to enjoy British fruit right through until December.

British strawberries fall into two classes, Junebearers and Everbearers. These classes are based on day length and temperature responses, particularly during flower-bud formation. By using a combination of both types of plant, British strawberries are now available from mid-April until mid-December.

Junebearers
The most popular strawberry variety grown in the UK is Elsanta. This variety is a Junebearer and, as the name suggests, under standard open field conditions will normally fruit over a four week period in June and July.
Elsanta is known for its excellent flavour, shelf life and high quality, glossy, attractive berries.

Everbearers
Everbearers initiate flower buds under varying day length and are manipulated to produce fruit between July and November. The same plant will continue to produce flowers and fruit over this period.
There are several varieties of Everbearers, the most popular being Bolero and Everest.