Sales of Picota cherries are “going through the roof” as the summer product looks to smash its record sales mark.
Last year was a record season with more than one million kilos sold in total and this year sales are forecast to increase by a further third.
The Foods from Spain campaign has run for several years and works particularly closely with the importers and retailers to get maximum results during the cherries short four to six week season.
Last year, Foods from Spain and retailers combined to drive a record season for Picota in the UK, with around four million punnets of the fruit sold across all stores. One supermarket chain reported a 400 per cent year-on-year increases in volumes.
Tino González, export manager of Agrupación of Cooperativas Valle del Jerte, one of the main co-operatives working with Picota, said: "Agrupación confirm the high level of purchase orders we received from the retailers in the UK we supply from the start of the season two weeks ago. Up to 7 July, we have sold one million kilos of Picota and, if the crop allows it and the demand remains high, we may end the season selling around 1.5 million kilos."
Foods from Spain is highlighting Picota cherries to British shoppers from mid-June and throughout July as part of its long-running campaign to support the fruit. This will include a range of activities in supermarket stores, including tasting sessions, with information and recipes given away in addition to Picota cherries, on-pack competitions and offers, as well as advertising at the point-of-sale and on retailers’ websites.
In the media, advertising and editorial articles are running in the consumer press and websites, while Chef Rowley Leigh of Le Café Anglais in London has also made a demonstration video on cooking with Picota cherries, which will be broadcast during the season.
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