cherries

Waitrose' shoppers have been buying larger packs of cherries

This season's 'excellent tasting' soft fruit has led to a trend of consumers buying in bulk, according to Waitrose.

The upmarket retailer says that sales of its large Cherry Lovers box (£6, 800g) are up 38 per cent year on year, with the box on course to become the second-biggest seller in the category. Meanwhile, strawberries are also being purchased in larger quantities, with the retailer's 1kg punnet (£4.50) seeing sales growth of 823 per cent year on year.

Waitrose soft-fruit buyer Nicki Baggot said that despite a late start to the season for many soft-fruit varieties, taste levels have remained high.

She said: “Our customers seem to be celebrating the delicious British fruit season in style, buying bigger boxes than in previous years.Although the season started approximately three weeks later, availability is good and the quality of the fruitright now is exceptional. The flavours are so good our customers tell us that as well as enjoying the fruits fresh, they’re preserving the flavours too by making jams, summer compotes and even bottling the cherries, which are delicious with added liqueurs.'

British cherries will remainin Waitrose branches nationwide until early September, while British strawberries will be sold until November.

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