Seedless grapes grown in Kent could be available on supermarket shelves in 2016 if an experimental project to grow the crop proves a success.
Asda and East Malling Research are working together to test the feasibility of growing UK table grapes. It is the first time seedless grapes have been grown on UK soil on a commercial level.
It is predicted that the vines, which have been imported from Spain, Italy and Greece, will be providing fruit in as quickly as two years; and that the project will be commercially viable by 2016 as the vines mature and produce more crop. The varieties being grown are Perlette, a seedless green grape, Crimson and Flame, both seedless red grapes, Autumn Royal, a seedless black grape and Black Corinth a seedless currant grape.
The grapes will be harvested during the European grape season - from August to October - and will include both open-air production and vines in polytunnels. UK shoppers buy £500 million worth of seedless grapes a year and the fruit is the second most popular in the UK, after bananas.
“This is an incredibly exciting project which we have been working on since 2007,” said Tom Murray, Asda’s grape technical manager. “The thought of buying UK grown seedless grapes may once have been unimaginable, but this project has the potential to revolutionise the grape market.”
Waitrose already sells UK-grown Muscat of Alexandra grapes, grown at the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's estate in Derbyshire and marketed by British & Brazilian.
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