Soft fruit is certainly on the up. Health-conscious parents are swapping traditional snacks for blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in their children’s lunchboxes. Antioxidant-packed berries are seen as a must-have healthy snack for children, particularly among ABC1 social groups, new figures show.
Consumers are also stocking up on soft fruit as part of their weekly shop and not just for special occasions. As a result the soft-fruit market is in rude health, having experienced growth of 11.8 per cent in value and eight per cent in volume in the last year, figures from Kantar Worldpanel reveal.
Better availability is part of the reason behind the record growth in the sector, according to Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits (BSF).
“Seasonal gaps are filled with new and better-flavoured varieties, and there is also better supermarket support and year-round shelf space,” he says.
The Seasonal Berries campaign, which is unique within the fruit industry because it is supported by UK importers and growers as well as overseas exporters - all using the same PR company for year-round promotional activity - has helped. Co-operation by BSF members to expand the category, while remaining competitors within the group, and greater consumer awareness of health and beauty benefits are also important factors.
The question is whether the sector can continue its good performance all through the summer. “There is no reason to believe that growth has plateaued, but the growth rate may slow down,” says Olins. “Strawberries are an iconic part of our summer and will always be linked to calendar events such as Wimbledon. This year’s exceptional events such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics are advantageous to the British soft-fruit industry as they add many new and unique occasions to consume and enjoy our produce.”
Nicholas Marston, managing director of Berry Gardens, agrees. “The Jubilee and the Olympics are great party occasions that will boost the sale of berries as consumers have barbecues and street parties. The ‘Britishness’ of these events will also boost consumers’ desire to buy and retailers’ keenness to stock and promote UK-produced fruit, with berries being our summer offer.
“UK crops are well advanced now and are looking good,” he continues. “We expect increases in production volumes for strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.”
The main reason behind the sales growth is, according to Marston, better-tasting berry varieties. “Strawberry varieties like Driscoll’s Magdalena and Lusa, and raspberry varieties such as Maravilla have really revolutionised the winter/spring offer,” he says. “We are increasing production of Driscoll’s varieties of strawberries and raspberries again next winter/spring and expect to see the sector and Berry Gardens’ share expand again.”
Marston has no doubt that value and volume figures for the sector will continue heading in the same direction due to soft fruit’s health benefits. “No other fruit offers the same combination of taste, convenience and healthy eating properties,” he says.
The taste aspect is undeniably one of the most important factors to continued sales.
According to Theo Houwen, managing director of Driscoll’s of EMEA, positive consumer feedback on the new blackberry varieties strengthens Driscoll’s belief in a blackberry comeback on the European market, which fits the company’s ambition to grow the berry category as a whole. “The result proves that the new Driscoll’s blackberry varieties really are something different to the current berry offering,” he says. “All three new varieties are part of our innovative breeding programme in which we aim to combine as many good qualities in one variety as possible.”
Houwen’s confidence is certainly reflected in the soft-fruit sector’s success to date. -
WORLD OF BERRIES COMES TO LONDON
Organised by Eurofruit magazine, this year’s Global Berry Congress takes place in the heart of London, on Thursday 26 April.
The Programme
08.00-09.00 Welcome refreshments at the Global Berry Congress Expo
09.00-09.15 Welcome to Global Berry Congress
09.15-10.00 Session One:
Health Check
If there is one major lesson the business world has learnt recently, it’s the importance of planting commercial ventures in fertile financial ground. At this year’s Global Berry Congress, Cindy van Rijswick of Rabobank International will present an in-depth status report on the health of the berry sector and assess growers’ ability to cope with the challenges ahead. In a world first for the fresh produce business, she will tell berry producers and suppliers how their business is likely to change by 2030. Ed Garner of Kantar Worldpanel will also be on hand to discuss the latest consumer market trends and gauge the impact of factors including food scares and environmental considerations.
Speakers include: Ed Garner, Kantar Worldpanel (UK); Cindy van Rijswick, Rabobank International (Holland).
10.00-11.00 Session Two:
Expansion Plans
With British consumers spending more on berries than on any other fruit, it’s clear that there is a great deal of good work being done in terms of how the fruit is sold. And there are signs that this success could be repeated across Europe as players become more aware of the need to address key issues such as availability, varietal mix, promotional strategies, cross-sector collaboration and consumer awareness.
Speakers include: James Waddy of Tesco (UK), Theo Houwen of Driscoll’s of Europe, Middle East and Africa (The Netherlands) and Marta Bentancur of Upefruy (Uruguay).
11.00-12.00 Networking break at Global Berry Congress Expo
12.00-13.00 Session Three:
Eastern Promise
While many of the world’s major berry producers and marketers have traditionally focused their attention on supplying developed markets in North America and Europe, new opportunities have emerged over the past decade to begin selling berries to customers in places such as Russia and the Middle East. Even further east lies the prospect of a sizeable Asian market. How can suppliers and marketers ensure they are well prepared for these new
opportunities?
Speakers include: Felipe Juillerat of the Chilean Blueberry Committee (Chile), ParknShop’s Mandy Lo (Hong Kong) and Sirane’s Simon Balderson (UK).
13.00-14.00 Networking lunch
14.00-15.00 Session Four:
Breeding Success
When it comes to ensuring that all involved in the berry supply chain are able to maximise returns, identifying the best varieties that are able to meet a wide range of requirements from consumers, retailers, suppliers and growers is essential. But what features do consumers, marketers and retailers want from new berry varieties?
Speakers include: François Lafitte of Sofruileg (France), José Jon Garcia Allen of Ekland Marketing Company of California (US), Nick Marsden of Berry Gardens (UK) and Andrew Mackenzie of Plant & Food Research (NZ).
15.00-16.00 Networking break at Global Berry Congress Expo
16.00-17.00 Session Five:
Marketing Mix and Conference Conclusions
Some of the leading players in the fresh berry marketing arena will be invited to share their views on a range of promotional tactics adopted in order to boost sales.
Speakers include: Andy Jackson
of Asda/International Produce (UK)
and Jan Engelen of Veiling Hoogstraten (Belgium).
17.30-19.00 Drinks reception
at Boyd’s Brasserie Bar and Lounge
For more info, please visit
www.berrycongress.com
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