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British Strawberry season officially open

“IT’S SAINSBERRIES!”

BRITISH STRAWBERRY SEASON OFFICIALLY OPEN

- Sainsbury’s breaks British record with arrival of first British strawberry crop of the season at 8.00am this morning

- One of the sunniest Februaries on record contributes to earliest ever crop

Sainsbury’s scored another first with the arrival of the first British strawberry crop of the season at its Hull store this morning. The first tray of punnets arrived from the East End Nursery at Keyingham, fifteen miles from the store, at 8.00am.

The strawberries received the final all-clear late yesterday by expert grower Peter Overvoorde, owner of the East End Nursery in Keyingham, and officials from the Summer Fruit Company, suppliers to Sainsbury’s.

Strawberries are judged in a taste test carried out by the grower and supplier which deems whether they meet Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference grade, triggering release of the crop to the store.

A special delivery van was on stand-by to deliver the punnets this morning, thereby declaring the British strawberry season officially open.

Mr Overvoorde’s strawberries are grown in glass houses near to the coast, where light conditions create optimum growing conditions. The crop was planted at the end of 2007. One of the sunniest Februaries on record has contributed to the record-breaking arrival of the crop.

Phil Finegold, general manager of Sainsbury’s Hull said: “We’re delighted to be the first supermarket to stock British-grown strawberries this year and it’s an honour to have them in our store. After a week of gales and rain, it’s great to celebrate the approach of summer with one of the most famous summer tastes.”

In the past, the British season was limited to eight weeks in June and July. An estimated 30,000 kg of strawberries are eaten at Wimbledon alone each year. Around 60,000 tonnes are grown in the UK each year. They contain more vitamin C than oranges, are high in fibre, low in calories and a good source of folic acid.
Stocks of new season strawberries will begin to arrive at Sainsbury’s stores throughout the UK in the next few weeks as the season begins in earnest.

- Ends –

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