New Covent Garden Market Reports Best Season in Years for British Growers

It’s been a spectacular season for UK growers, reports New Covent Garden Market, with exceptional weather patterns bringing bountiful harvests across the board.

Thanks to a spring blessed with high light levels and cool nights, British strawberry growers have seen ideal conditions for fruit development. Meanwhile, orchard crops have benefitted from calm and clement weather during blossom time, resulting in impressive volumes of apples and pears now ripening on the trees.

One of the standout successes this year has been the UK cherry crop, with growers celebrating a record-breaking harvest of 8,000 tonnes — a milestone achievement that has brought joy to both producers and fruit lovers alike. English cherries remain excellent at the time of writing, although the season is now drawing to a close.

In Kent and beyond, early Discovery apples are already being picked, signalling a strong start to the British apple season. Pears, too, are shaping up well, with orchards reporting a particularly fine crop.

The English plum season is also underway, starting with the Opal variety and swiftly followed by the much-loved Victoria plum. Foraged damsons and sloes can be found in the hedgerows, while greengages are set to follow soon. Imports include Reine Claude and Mirabelle plums from France – dainty, golden and perfect for August desserts.

Soft fruit remains in strong supply, with British-grown strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries readily available and in great condition.

Elsewhere on the seasonal calendar:

• UK cobnuts are beginning to appear – still fresh and milky in texture before they dry into their more familiar crunchy form.

• French black figs are arriving and are as irresistible as ever.

• Grapes are enjoying a good month, with early varieties like Prima leading the way. Muscat is next on the horizon.

• Melons, including Piel de Sapo and yellow-fleshed watermelon, are in plentiful supply.

• It’s peak season for stone fruit, with peaches and nectarines at their best. Apricots are still around, though they’ll soon fade from the shelves.

However, not all crops have thrived equally. UK peas and broad beans are finishing earlier than usual due to prolonged dry conditions and regional droughts. Fortunately, Continental beans – including Borlotti and Coco de Paimpol – are stepping in to fill the gap.

In the veg patch, it’s all systems go:

• UK-grown tomatoes are in full swing, including stunning mixed boxes from the likes of Nutbourne Nursery in West Sussex.

• Courgettes and marrows are abundant.

• Sweetcorn is arriving thick and fast and will remain available into September.

• Squashes are just beginning to make an appearance.

Salad lovers are also well catered for with an abundance of UK-grown leafy lines, including watercress, Rainbow Chard, bunched beets and bunched carrots.

For those with a taste for the wild, Scottish girolle mushrooms are the August highlight, while cep and the elusive Cesar mushrooms also begin to emerge as the month unfolds.

All in all, August is shaping up to be a celebration of nature’s generosity — so now’s the time to enjoy the vibrant variety of British and European produce at its peak.

Read New Covent Garden's full Market Report here.