Tesco Commits To 100% British Cherries As Spring Sparks Bumper Crop

In a delicious twist for cherry lovers, Tesco has announced that it will stock only British-grown cherries this summer, thanks to an outstanding domestic harvest.

This bold move has been made possible by the warmest UK spring on record, which delivered ideal growing conditions across the country. The result? Bigger, juicier, sweeter cherries and the largest predicted yield in three years.

From early July, shoppers will see only homegrown cherries on Tesco’s shelves—a significant shift that supports British growers and trims unnecessary food miles. It also marks a moment of pride for the UK’s cherry industry, which has blossomed in both quantity and quality.

Tesco’s cherry buyer, Olivia Amey, said the favourable weather has done wonders for the fruit: “The extra sunshine and daylight hours have played a major part in the quality of the fruit we’ve been sampling from around the country over the last few weeks, and we know customers are going to be impressed.”

She added: “It’s also meant that overall volume is up early in the season, meaning that we’ll be able to meet the usual summer demand for cherries solely with British produce.”

British cherry production is now expected to hit around 8,000 tonnes this season—quadruple the harvest seen in 2018 and well above recent averages.

Growers have much to cheer too. According to The Independent, British cherry production is forecast at about 8,000 tonnes—roughly four times what was harvested in 2018 and far above levels seen just a few years ago.

One Kent grower, Tom Hulme of AC Hulme & Sons, told The Independent the industry is evolving:

“New varieties are being brought in that are not only better suited to the British climate to improve quality and taste, but also to help us extend the growing season

Tesco’s move comes at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking British produce, and this cherry-first pledge is likely to strike the right chord with both foodies and farmers alike.