Last year was a record year for British cherry production, with up to 3,500 tonnes of the fruit produced – more than double the previous year’s yield, and worth around £20 million.
That's according to Defra, and the government's environment secretary, Liz Truss, said the scale of the change in the fruit’s fortunes has provided significant boost to the UK economy.
Such is the turnaround in fortunes for the fruit over the past 12 months that growers are predicting even better figures for 2015.
Truss told The Guardian: “This year’s expected production figures are a staggering success, and testament to the hard-working, can-do attitude of our British growers, who use the latest innovations to ensure that we’re picking world-class cherries well beyond the traditional season.”
Back in 2000, just 400 tonnes of cherries were produced in Britain, but farmers have since increased their crops more than fivefold. The cherry season, which once lasted just a few summer weeks, now extends from June until September.
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