M&S has edged out Tesco to top a major new consumer survey on British strawberries, with Driscoll Elizabeth beating scores for Elsanta and Malling Centenary varieties.
The survey, exclusively revealed today (1 July) by FPJ, was conducted by research firm Cambridge Market Research using blind taste tests of berries from 10 major retailers.
It asked 106 consumers who regularly eat strawberries, and who were selected from across the North, Midlands and the South of England, to rate strawberries on colour, freshness, condition, taste, sweetness, texture and intention to buy.
Participants were initially shown a full punnet of strawberries, before being asked to select one to taste. After tasting, the brand and price of each strawberry was revealed, at which point participants were asked to score on value for money, match with expectations of brand and intention to buy.
All strawberries were served plain, and testing took place between 21 and 22 June 2016 in the run up to the British season’s peak and Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Tesco came second behind premium retailer M&S, as after consumers selected on taste, freshness and texture, they then chose on value for money. The premium price point of the M&S product was too high for some consumers while Tesco was considered much better value for money, the survey found.
Co-op’s Elsanta strawberries were also rated highly, beating the same variety on sale at Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. Consumers were disappointed by Asda and Lidl in partiucular, with berries described as “over ripe”, “mushy”, with a “soft” texture and “watery” taste.
First impressions were key, with freshness, condition and overall appearance being key drivers of intention to purchase before tasting. Where any form of bruising or blemishing was evident, retailers were penalised and participants were less likely to buy. A bright, vibrant colour was key for a winning strawberry with high scorers more likely to be described as ‘bright in colour’. A pale or dull colour was an indicator of a strawberry not being quite ripe enough.
Taste was the key decider. Variety played some role here with the Driscoll Elizabeth variety the real winners with a sweet and tasty berry. The popular Elsanta variety received fairly average ratings, whilst Malling Centenary saw a varied performance between retailers.
The results:
M&S Sunbliss British Strawberries
Price: £2.00 for 300g
Variety: Driscoll Elizabeth
Driscoll Elizabeth was praised for being sweet and juicy, delivering a great flavour. Unsurprisingly this resulted in overall taste being rated significantly higher than all other retailers with the single exception of Tesco. Purchase intention was high too, with the £2.00 price point proving competitive.
Likes: “Sweet, juicy and tasty.” “Really good flavour, juicy.” “Very tasty and sweet. Fresh aroma. Fresh taste.”
Dislikes: “Too varied in size.” “Bit too big and doesn't look very nice.”
Tesco British Strawberries
Price: £2.00 for 400g
Variety: Malling Centenary, Kent.
Verdict: With an overall score only 1 point behind M&S, the Tesco British Strawberries were considered the best for appearance, freshness, texture and value for money. The bright colour was well liked and these strawberries delivered a sweet flavour with a good texture. With another 100g for the £2 price point, Value for Money was rated highly, translating into strong purchase intent.
Likes: “Lovely strawberry flavour, nice and sweet. Good sized strawberries.” “Colour, looks fresh, sweetness.” “Beautiful taste, good appearance, fresh, huge fruits, juicy and sweet.”
Dislikes: “A bit too big.” “Not quite sweet enough.”
Waitrose essential British Strawberries
Price: £2.00 for 400g
Variety: Sweet Eve
The sweet aroma of these Sweet Eve strawberries set high expectations and most consumers were not left disappointed. Full of flavour, but not overly sweet, these strawberries were associated as being ‘premium’ and ‘good quality’. However, for a handful of consumers they were a little under ripe and too pale in colour. Despite this, consumers were still keen to purchase after tasting with more than two thirds saying they would either probably or definitely buy.
Likes: “Wonderful aroma and fantastic taste” “Slight crunch compared to others.” “Firm and juicy. Just sweet enough”
Dislikes: “Too crunchy and sour.” “Not sweet enough and not particularly tasty.”
Co-op Loved By Us Scottish Strawberries
Price: £2.00 for 400g
Variety: Elsanta, Scotland
Bright and vibrant in colour with a good shine, these strawberries looked fresh and smelled fantastic, despite being a little too small in size. The variety on test, Elsanta, was described as ‘sweet’ and ‘perfectly ripe’. Unlike other Elsanta strawberries on test from Asda and Morrisons, these Scottish grown strawberries were firm but juicy in texture, making for a delicious eat. Offering excellent value for money, half of testers said these strawberries were better than they expected from the Co-op.
Likes: “Glorious colour.” “Smells yummy.” “Big, juicy and very fresh.” “Bright and shiny.” “Intensely good flavour and texture.” “The size is pop in mouth.”
Dislikes: “Tastes earthy.” “Variety of sizes.”
Aldi Nature’s Fruit British Strawberries
Price: £1.29 for 400g
Variety: Christine
Typically an early season variety, these Christine strawberries from Aldi really delivered on overall taste. They were considered much sweeter and more flavoursome than the Malling Centenary variety available from rival discounter Lidl. These strawberries were also much firmer in texture, leaving them less susceptible to bruising and blemishing, and driving good ratings for overall freshness. Good value, but not quite as flavoursome, or as good quality as winners M&S, Tesco and Waitrose. Still, more than one third said they would consider buying weekly.
Likes: “Very juicy and sweet. Moreish and refreshing. Perfect texture” “Juicy and delicious” “Great size, nice and big, lovely tasting flavour.” Slightly too soft”
Dislikes: “Mushy, sour, dirty and blemished” “Too many large seeds. A bit offputting”
Sainsbury’s British Strawberries
Price: £2.00 for 400g
Variety: Elsanta
Visually, these strawberries from Sainsbury’s were very attractive, receiving high scores for size, colour, condition and overall appearance. However, tasting disappointed with scores for taste and texture falling to around the average. Compared with other Elsanta varieties from Morrisons and the Co-op, they were rated on par for freshness and flavour, but overall they were not quite sweet enough and a little sour in taste. Significantly less likely to be described as good quality as Tesco, M&S and Waitrose; only 2 in 5 stated intention to buy.
Likes: “They are a nice size, very red and fresh looking.” “Very sweet, ripe and juicy.” “Good flavour, crisp texture and not too mushy.” “Sweet, earthy, taste.”
Dislikes: “I wished they had a stronger aroma.” “Very bitter, would need lots of sugar on.” “A little bland in flavour so disappointing.” “They were tart with no flavour.”
Morrisons British Strawberries
Price: £1.00 for 270g
Variety: Elsanta
These Elsanta strawberries were slightly dull and pale in colour and were a little less uniform in size. Coming in 6th place out of 10 for overall opinion, these Morrisons strawberries were rated on par with Sainsbury’s and significantly ahead of Asda, Lidl and Iceland, with a sweeter and less watery flavour. Just under half were impressed by the quality on offer saying the product was better than they expected from Morrisons.
Likes: “Very sweet flavour, delicious.” “Sweet, ripe and soft.” “Sweet and fruity.” “Juicy and refreshing.”
Dislikes: “A little sharp.” “Pale and insipid.” “Too varied in size, one or two big ones but the rest are really small.” “
Lidl Oaklands British Strawberries
Price: £1.99 for 400g
Variety: Malling Centenary, Cambridgeshire
Despite being the same variety as high scorers Tesco (Malling Centenary - grown in Kent), these strawberries grown in Cambridgeshire failed to impress, coming in 8th place out of 10 for overall impression. Unlike the M. Centenary on offer from Tesco, the strawberries from Lidl were considered too big in size and nowhere near as sweet in taste. Less than half rated the freshness of these berries as good/excellent and consumers disliked the ‘mushy’ texture. Many were left disappointed by Lidl on this occasion with 55% saying they were worse than they expected from this retailer.
Likes: “Succulent and juicy.” “Rich colour and a good size.” “Good uniformed size” “Succulent, fresh, sweet.”
Dislikes: “Sour and mushy. Some of them are blemished.” “Too sour. Some not ripe enough, even though they looked it” “Greenery is not fresh and flavour is not very sweet.” “Too sour.”
Asda Grower’s Selection British Strawberries
Price: £1.50 for 400g
Variety: Elsanta
Dark in colour and dotted with blemishes, visually these strawberries did not impress with 2 in 5 rating the condition on appearance as poor. Despite offering consumers a lower price point than competitive retailers, these strawberries were just too ripe, resulting in a ‘soft’ and ‘mushy’ texture and making for an unpleasant eat. They also failed to deliver on taste, with many commenting on the lack of flavour and watery taste. The majority of our consumers were left unimpressed by these strawberries and only 1 in 5 said they would buy after testing.
Likes: “Stalks are nice and big to hold.” “The amount in the punnet.” “Good size, really juicy.” “Juicy, good aroma, nice size and colour is a good dark red.”
Dislikes: “Sizes are too varied. Tasted far too mushy and sloppy” “Texture is far too soft & squishy” “Bland, soft and pretty tasteless” “Rather sour and watery” “They don't taste sweet and they are boring”
Iceland Farmer’s Market Strawberries
Price: £2.00 for 600g
Variety: n/a
Visually, these strawberries were more appealing than other low scorers, Asda and Morrisons. Whilst the attractive colour appealed, the variation in the size of the berries was off putting for some. Like other low scorers, these strawberries were also soft and watery in texture, resulting in a bland and sometimes bitter taste. For 3 in 5, they were simply ‘not sweet enough’. The poor quality on offer resulted in a low score for value for money, despite a 50% Extra Free offer and post trial, 63% said they would not buy.
Likes: “Not over sweet.” “Great variety of sizes, look great, good colour.” “Look fresh and inviting.” “Generous sizes, taste fresh.”
Dislikes: “Disappointing in taste.” “Could be slightly sweeter.” “Watery, bitter and squishy.”
