British Raspberry Growers Herald Exceptionally Sweet Crop

UK raspberry growers are reporting one of the sweetest crops in recent years, with fruit recording significantly higher-than-average sugar levels following a cool spring and warm conditions during May.

According to industry figures, this season’s fruit tastes up to 50% sweeter than normal; registering Brix readings of 11 to 12, compared with a typical average of around eight.

Berry producers Angus Soft Fruits and WB Chambers are hailing “very special” fruit and a “vintage year” for British raspberries, with larger sizes and improved quality overall.

Industry body British Berry Growers described the increase in Brix levels as the most significant seen in years, highlighting the impact of favourable springtime growing conditions on fruit development and quality.

Growers attribute this season’s “standout” quality to a prolonged cool spring, which enabled raspberry plants to establish strong root systems and healthy leaf canopies without experiencing heat stress. 

Subsequent warm weather then supported gradual and even ripening, resulting in deeper colour development and enhanced sweetness.

British Berry Growers chairman Nick Marston said “careful management” has resulted in the association’s growers developing a “wonderful crop” for 2026.

“Strawberries may have grabbed the headlines earlier in the season, but now it’s raspberries’ turn,” Marston enthused. 

“The same favourable growing conditions have produced an exceptional crop, with fantastic sweetness, flavour and quality.

“Our growers are harvesting fruit of exceptional quality and flavour.”

The Sweetest Crop In Years

Having grown raspberries for years, Lochy Porter, co-founder of Angus Soft Fruits, described the 2026 crop as among the sweetest he has seen in decades.

“The raspberries are something very special this year,” Porter noted. “I’ve been growing them for 35 years, and I’ve rarely seen Brix readings like this.

“The cool spring set the plants up perfectly, then the sunshine came at exactly the right time,” continued Porter. “You can taste it straight off the raspberry cane.”

George Beedell, head of business development at WB Chambers in Kent, also highlighted the role of the delayed start to the season in boosting fruit quality.

“The slow start back in May is the secret here; it let the sugars really develop, so the berries are coming off the cane deliciously sweet this year,” Beedell explained.

“Then the sun arrived at just the right moment for a record-breaking bank holiday weekend. We’ve had warm days and mild nights, and that’s exactly what a raspberry wants.

“They’ve had time to develop more too, so they’re bigger than usual as well as sweeter. They’re eating beautifully right now; I’d call it a vintage year.”

Alongside improved sweetness, growers are reporting larger berry sizes and strong overall eating quality. 

As the UK season gathers momentum, the outlook from British growers is creating positive prospects for the domestic raspberry market. 

Source: Independent