Driscoll Jubilee growers have anticipated that this year’s crop of Britain’s finest Jubilee strawberries will be sweeter than ever thanks to the “perfect weather combination”.
The sunshine experienced of late, coupled with the cooler evenings, provides optimum growing conditions for Jubilee Strawberries. The extended hours of sunlight develop sugars in the berries and provide for steady growth. The cooler evenings allow the strawberry to recover, providing more energy to produce more sugars during daylight. Paul Kelsey, owner of Quaives Farm at Wickhambreux in Kent and a member of Berry Gardens comments, “Following a mild winter and a great spring the Jubilee strawberry plants are full of energy, as a result the berries are particularly sweet and juicy this year”.
Retailers are advised to stock up and take advantage of this year’s sweeter, larger berry, particularly when consumer demand for quality British berries is at its peak. Kantar data shows that for the last 52 weeks the total berry market is valued at £934million, which represents a healthy 12.3% increase over the previous 12 months, with strawberries accounting for 53% of the overall British berry market. Nicholas Marston, Managing Director of Berry Gardens says, “The sunshine, coupled with the cooler, drier weather this spring, has created ideal conditions for Jubilee strawberries and this season our crop will deliver perfect quality and meet consumer demand”.
80% of Driscoll Jubilee strawberry production is created using trayplants, which have the advantage of producing larger and more highly flavoured strawberries from early in the season. The majority of Driscoll Jubilee strawberries are grown in growbags on tabletops, which allows the growers to control disease because of the improved airflow. Plants are grown in coir substrate which prevents soil-borne diseases from occurring.
The excellent flavour of Jubilee is not only due to high sugars, but also to the contribution and balance of various acids and aroma components. The Jubilee season traditionally runs from June to September, and the strawberry can be found in the premium ranges of all major supermarkets.