British Berry Season Accelerates As April Brings Strong Volume Uplift

The UK berry season is now moving up a gear, with April delivering the significant uplift in volumes that the industry has been building towards since early spring.

At leading soft fruit supplier S&A Produce, the first strawberries of the season began developing early, with picking getting underway on 4 March. Since then, volumes have been rising steadily—and as expected, April is now seeing a tenfold increase compared to March, marking a key turning point in the domestic season.

This surge is translating into greater availability across the market, with retailers increasingly able to showcase British berries on shelves. As supply strengthens, the focus shifts firmly to home-grown fruit—well-known for its freshness, flavour and strong consumer appeal.

The rapid field-to-shelf journey, often within 24 to 48 hours, continues to give British berries a clear edge, particularly as shoppers actively seek out local produce. That demand is being met with growing confidence as volumes build week by week.

Behind the scenes, continued investment in innovation is supporting this upward trajectory. Advances in plant breeding, alongside the use of more sustainable energy sources such as biomass and combined heat and power systems, are helping growers to extend the season while improving efficiency.

While imports remain important earlier in the year, the momentum is now firmly with UK production.

With volumes rising sharply through April and heading towards the early summer peak, the outlook for the British berry season is increasingly positive—setting the stage for a strong and vibrant few months ahead.