British Blueberry Demand At Record High Amid Excellent Quality This Year
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The 2026 British blueberry season is underway, with growers reporting exceptional crop quality and record gains in consumer demand for the UK’s fastest-growing fruit category.
Hall Hunter Partnership, one of the country’s leading soft fruit producers, expects its biggest and most successful season this year, as it expands production in line with surging demand for healthy, homegrown blues.
With consumer appetite continuing to gain pace, the business has made significant investments into its blueberry production processes, focusing on quality and efficiency.
The company, which operates eight farms across Surrey and Berkshire and is marking its 60th year in business, is forecast to supply more than 40% of the UK’s blueberry crop this year.
This season’s fruit is superb, according to Hall Hunter, with favourable crop development delivering larger, sweeter blueberries across several newer varieties.
“Our British blueberries are looking fantastic this year, we are really happy with the development of the crop, especially with newer varieties that have bigger, firmer and sweeter berries,” revealed Hall Hunter Managing Director, Jim Floor.
UK’s Fastest-Growing Fruit Category
The strong quality outlook comes as blueberries emerge as the fastest-growing fruit category in the UK.
Consumer appetite for blueberries has been rising steadily, driven by several long-term trends.
Shoppers are increasingly choosing natural, minimally processed foods, and are looking for convenient snack options that also offer nutritional benefits.
At the same time, demand for British-grown produce continues to strengthen as consumers place greater value on supporting domestic agriculture.
Industry figures indicate that blueberry sales have been growing at a rapid pace, with demand increasing by around 20% annually.
Research from Red Tractor indicates that nine in ten UK consumers would like to see more food produced domestically, while The Grocer’s 2025 trend report found that 68% of shoppers choose British-grown produce whenever they can, with 70% saying they actively support British farmers through their purchasing choices.
Retailers have also reported substantial growth in sales of British blueberries in recent years, reflecting the category’s growing popularity among consumers.
During the last three years alone, British blueberry sales have risen by over 200% at discount retailer Lidl, which recently committed £500 million to sourcing British berries.
Hall Hunter Leading The Way
To support this rising demand, Hall Hunter has continued to invest heavily in its blueberry operations.
Now the UK’s largest blueberry grower, the company has steadily expanded its blueberry production since 2007, with plantings covering more than 200 hectares across eight farms in Surrey and Berkshire.
However, expansion remains a long-term commitment, as newly planted blueberry bushes typically take around five years before reaching full production.
“It is a long-term plan, but we are pleased with our progress and are looking forward to a successful 2026 season,” explained Floor.
Other investments have been made in crop protection, including the use of trained falcons and laser-based bird deterrent systems. These methods reportedly help to reduce crop losses while avoiding harm to wildlife.
The business also uses Elifab AI-assisted grading technology during packing to help maintain consistent fruit quality.
Further recent additions at Hall Hunter include two Harvy 500 harvesting machines, capable of picking 500kg per hour, which significantly increase harvesting efficiency compared with traditional hand-picking methods.
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