Straw blimey! Research shows that the average weight of strawberries has increased by 60% in just 12 years, while raspberries and blueberries have doubled in size since 2011
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- S&A Group says strawberries have increased from 13.6g in 2011 to 21.5g this year
- Raspberries have doubled and blueberries have tripled in the same period
- But S&A Group’s Peter Judge says bigger fruit doesn’t always add flavor
The average weight of Britain’s favorite berry has increased by 60 per cent over the past 12 years.
Strawberries have increased from 13.6 grams in 2011 to 21.5 grams this year, according to S&A Group, the UK’s largest independent supplier.
The average diameter has also increased dramatically, from 23mm-25mm in 2011 to 27mm-41mm in 2023.
Due to customer demand, other berries have also followed the trend, with typical raspberry sizes doubling in the last two decades and UK blueberries tripling over the same period. The times reported.
The increases are due to agronomists growing ‘more desirable varieties’, according to the trade association British Berry Growers.
Strawberries have increased from 13.6 grams in 2011 to 21.5 grams this year, according to S&A Group, the UK’s largest independent supplier.
Other berries have followed the trend, with the size of typical raspberries doubling in the last two decades and British blueberries tripling over the same period
And those who bought British strawberries and raspberries this summer may have found them tastier than usual, reportedly due to slower ripening in this year’s cool spring.
Peter Judge, group director of S&A Group, told the paper: “British retailers believe consumers want bigger berries, but it’s fair to say they don’t always deliver on flavour.
“We have a variety called Lady Isla, which is actually a small berry, but it’s our tastiest strawberry. It’s not always the case that big berry equals big taste.’
Commercial pressure to grow larger fruit came from British consumers and was at odds with mainland preferences, according to the S&A Group.
But supermarkets are asking suppliers not to pack strawberries with a diameter of more than 45 mm, because customers want value for money.
Nick Marston, the chairman of British Berry Growers, added: “This increase in size specifications is designed to ensure customers waste less fruit when peeling the strawberries and to give better cuts when the berries are cut.
“It’s also about visual appeal – good-sized ‘bold’ fruit appeals to consumers more than a pack of lots and lots of tiny berries.”