A new English bred strawberry has been launched and will be available on the shelves of leading supermarkets this summer.
The Elegance strawberry, bred by Hargreaves Plants near Spalding, has been five years in the making.
Hargreaves Plants grows 70 per cent of the Elegance plants in Europe and has so far sold around 500,000 of the soft-fruit plants.
Hargreaves director Jamie Petchell told freshinfo: “We have been working on it for five years. We pick out the best selections from seedling crops and pick out the best five per cent for further trials.”
The medium- to large-sized strawberries have been bred for their high yields and “exceptional” shiny appearance.
It has been bred largely for supermarket suppliers but is also very firm and resistant to rain, making it a good option for pick-your-own farms.
Elegance was bred by Dr David Simpson of East Malling Research, Kent.
