Raspberries pick up soft-fruit relay baton

The UK raspberry season is hitting its peak two weeks earlier than usual and has helped plug a gap in strawberry availability as demand has climbed during the recent warm, sunny spell.

“There have been some challenging times for strawberries but good availability on raspberries,” said Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits.

“With berries, if they start two weeks early they finish two weeks early. That situation will switch over now as we have reached the peak in raspberries, and the second crop of everbearers will bring strawberry supplies back up again.”