Waitrose is to stock English damsons as it looks to widen its fruit offering.
The upmarket retailer is already stocking fresh English greengages supplied by Wilkin & Sons and the damsons will arrive in store on Thursday.
The greengages are sourced from the home of the fruit in Suffolk where Sir William Gage grew the first fruit in Tiptree at Bury St Edmunds.
The damson will be stocked for four to six weeks as part of the Tiptree Summer Fruit collection that includes strawberries, raspberries, Victoria plums, greengages and damsons.
Wilkin & Sons, which grows soft- and stonefruit on 900 acres of land, is better known for its preserves but the family business was established as a fresh fruit farm before turning to jam in 1885.
Farms director Chris Newenham said: “Taste and consistency is vital to the success of jam making and it is equally important in the fresh fruit market, though we appreciate that shelf life is also important.
“We started growing for the fresh fruit market once again ten years ago when I first joined the business and today, we have our own pack house beside the farm so that the fruit can be picked, graded, packed and refrigerated on site.”
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