Retailers cannot get enough of British cherries at the moment and while the industry is striving to feed that demand, it might be the Dutch that provide the answer to accelerating production.
The East Malling Research station in Kent is trialling a new cherry coverings system, called the QuickZip, at its recently launched concept cherry orchard. Both the orchard and the new system are funded by Univeg Katope UK.
Designed by Dutch firm Fruitsafe, the system claims to offer increased protection from hail, rain, wasps and birds, while still allowing for good air movement.
Graham Caspell, commercial farm manager at East Malling, says the trial was one of the first in the UK. He adds that one of the attractions of the new system is the reduction in manpower required.
“Using a unique attachment system, a screen cover can be erected and removed extremely quickly,” he explains.
Obviously it’s early days for the trial but if the system does deliver increased protection at a lower cost than coverings already on the market, Fruitsafe may just have struck gold in the UK.
The British cherry industry, recently besieged by stormy weather that has caused the season to be some 10 days behind, is constantly in a position of demand significantly outstripping supply.
Supplier Total Cherry estimates that this summer some 3,000 tonnes of cherries will come to market but the actual demand will be in the region of 7,000 tonnes.
“In the last 12 months sales of British cherries have increased incredibly, from £86m to £102m,” says Jon Clark, director of Total Cherry.
According to British Cherries, an industry-led association promoting the fruit, the main crop will now come through in mid-July. It has been challenged by high winds blowing off coverings.
Despite the nail-biting nature of growing cherries, the UK product is so desired that growers are willing to gamble huge investments in order to produce a crop.
A lot of this confidence comes down to the backing from retailers such as Waitrose, which has committed to only selling quality British cherries during the season.
Waitrose’s specialist fruit buyer Nicki Baggott says sales of British cherries rocketed last year.
“As soon as the British cherry season is up and running and we can get enough supplies in-store, we will start to switch off imported cherries and only be selling British ones,” she says.
“We feel confident that we can do this thanks to the long-term relationships we have built with our growers.
“Quality comes first, that’s our commitment to the Waitrose customer, and while it is not ideal weather for anyone, I have been talking with growers and we’re expecting some fantastic, plump cherries this season.”
Asda has taken the position that where it can supply British cherries, it will. However, category manager Andy Jackson says that such is the demand for cherries during the summer; the supermarket will still be selling imported produce.
“We are trying to increase the availability of British cherries but the crop is down,” says Jackson.
“We have had to reduce the amount we were planning to take simply because there have been significant crop losses.
“We’re being strategic with the produce we buy in, ensuring it goes into stores that are near to the growers and suppliers.”
Jackson reiterated that the supermarket chain was supportive of the British cherry industry, but that it also had to ensure its customers were getting the quality product they wanted.
Clark says that despite the weather challenges the industry faces, it has come a long way in recent years. “The industry is not able to meet demand yet, but the long-term aim is to get to a place where we can also export,” he adds.
“There’s a high regard for iconic British products, and there is no reason why that cannot include cherries. A lot of our new varieties are very, very tasty and sought after.”
Should the day arrive when British cherries are exported, the industry may well want to look to the success of Spanish producers.
At this moment Picota cherries are being harvested, with the first shipment arriving in the UK next week. For the past decade the marketing body Foods from Spain has been promoting the produce in the UK and last year it reaped the reward of seeing a 75 per cent increase in sales compared to 2010. Around 10 million punnets, 2,500 tonnes, were sold during the five-week season.
Boosted by this popularity, Foods From Spain is launching its most extensive promotional campaign to date to further raise customer awareness of the fruit. It includes sampling, social media and increased in-store activity.
The campaign’s strapline ‘Catch them while you can!’ emphasises the cherry’s short season and makes it a point of difference.
British cherry producers could find inspiration in this and turn the dramas of battling the elements to produce a harvest into a major selling point. -
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