Scottish Strawberry Season Begins On A Sweet Note

Scotland’s strawberry season is off to a positive start, with growers reporting favourable conditions and strong early development despite a slightly later start than last year.

Soft fruit specialist Angus Soft Fruit officially began harvesting on 7 April at Barnsmuir Farm in St Andrews, with the crop currently running a few days to around a week behind the unusually early 2025 season.

According to the company, this year’s timing is still broadly consistent with a more typical Scottish growing season. Warm daytime temperatures combined with colder nights have slowed development slightly, although recent sunshine and low rainfall have helped support crop quality and plant growth.

Jill Witheyman of Angus Soft Fruit said growing conditions had been “good overall”, with strong light levels helping crops progress well despite the cooler temperatures compared with last year.

The first strawberry varieties harvested this season are Aurora Karima and Florice, while the company’s AVA™ Monet and AVA™ Dali raspberry varieties are expected to become available from mid-May.

The positive start in Scotland comes as the wider UK strawberry sector continues to benefit from favourable spring weather and growing investment in protected cropping systems. Retailers including Tesco and Co-op have already reported rising volumes of British-grown strawberries reaching shelves earlier in the season.

Industry investment in technologies such as heated tunnels, biomass boilers and weather-protected growing systems has helped growers extend the season and improve crop resilience against increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.

Across the UK, growers are hopeful that continued sunshine and stable temperatures over the coming weeks will support strong yields and maintain momentum for one of Britain’s most anticipated seasonal crops.

Source: Fresh Plaza