• 6,000 tonnes of British Blueberries expected to hit retailer shelves.
• Hall Hunter to provide 50% of UK crop, aided by new AI packing technology

British Blueberry season has just kicked off and soon supermarket shelves will once more be full of bright juicy berries to be enjoyed by the British public. Top British berry producer Hall Hunter Partnership will be one of the main providers and wants more customers to champion british blueberries this summer.

Though 20,000 tonnes of blueberries are sold in the UK from June to September, only 6,000 are actually grown in the UK. Hall Hunter is on a mission to increase British blueberry production and expects to harvest 3,000 tonnes this year - thus making up 50% of total UK output. Jim Floor, Managing Director at Hall Hunter Partnership, is confident that demand for British blueberries will continue to grow:

British blueberries are low on food miles and mighty on flavour - good for the people and for the planet. The market for British Blueberries is growing at 30% year on year, so there is plenty of room for further expansion here. At Hall Hunter, we want to make British blueberries the berry of  choice for consumers during the season from June to September.

Hall Hunter expects a bumper crop due to a warmer than average May and excellent pollination, facilitated by their five million strong bee population. The company is looking forward to a successful harvest and especially efficient field to shelf journey with the assistance of a brand new harvesting machine - capable of picking at 600kg/h compared to just 10kg/h by hand.

Hall Hunter is employing over 1200 workers via the seasonal workers scheme and is proud to uphold a 65% return rate year on year, as well as a 25% uptake from those who have worked in the UK previously but have joined Hall Hunter for its enhanced worker offer and facilities.

Another new machinery edition is a new Elifab  - a new blueberry grading and packing machine utilising AI technology to sort through the crop at record speed. A major investment for the Hall Hunter, this will transform their packing processes and entirely streamline their blueberry packing operation. The company is proud of its traditions and heritage but consistently working to implement new technologies to execute the best and most efficient harvests possible.

 As more and more consumers look to make environmentally conscious choices, British blueberries are the perfect choice to avoid buying into high food miles. With tonnes of blueberries currently imported from around the world, many of the blueberries on sale have travelled over 6,000 miles from farm to fridge. British Blueberries eliminate these food miles completely.

And not only are British blueberries better for the environment - they are also great for health. Amid growing concerns around ultra-processed food, there is a strong movement towards more natural eating. Blueberries have long been deemed a superfood and with a multitude of antioxidants and vitamins, they are a nutritious addition to any meal, or make for a much healthier snacking alternative.

So as the 2024 season progresses, expect a plentiful supply of delicious British blueberries, further cementing the fruit as a true British summertime staple.