On Friday 9th June until September 30^th British blueberry season will officially open. Following a stormy start to spring, the season will kick off a week later than usual with June 9^th heralding a welcome return for our home grown sweet and tasty berries. With a staggering 6000 tonnes of British blueberries grown in the UK this year alone, they will soon be taking their rightful place on shelf and in our diets.

Harry Hall, Managing Partner of Hall Hunter - established growers of 30% of the UK’s British blueberries - feels June 9^th cannot come soon enough.

“British blueberries have long been overlooked and I am delighted that here at Hall Hunter we have beaten our growing record to date, and this year will have 2000 tonnes available for sale. Low in food miles and mighty in flavour, British blueberries are great for the planet, and our diet – an ideal healthy snack for all the family.”

 With warm sunny weather forecast for early June, British blueberries are set to taste sweeter than ever this season. Warmer weather helps to boost the natural sugar content of British blueberries, whilst pollinators help with the production of a steady supply through the season. Hunter Hall’s Tuesley Farm accommodates over 180,000 beautiful bumble bees alone, who pollinate thousands of blueberry plants that will grow Hall Hunter blueberries in 2023.

Despite blueberries being available in supermarkets all year round, 90% are imported from across the globe meaning most of our blueberry eating habits are centred around out of season, berries shipped from abroad. However, our appetite for British blueberries continues to grow with over 5,000 tonnes bought by Brits last year, with the total value of all blueberries bought by Brits worth £481m to the UK economy.

With British blueberry demand on the up, Hall Hunter is on a mission to safeguard the future of these delectable berries. With 45,000 tonnes imported from abroad, in particular Poland and Chile, Hall Hunter alone wants to increase its crop 30% year on year and thanks to its abundant supply, make British blueberries the sole choice for supermarkets and buyers between June and September.

With the planet and wellbeing remaining top of the news agenda, British blueberries are good for both. With the average British blueberry travelling a mere 100 miles to shelf, compared to their imported counterparts travelling up to almost 7000 miles they are light on the planet. Moreover, their short commute delivers maximum taste thanks to their freshness, which delivers the perfect blueberry bite; crisp on the outside and juicy and sweet on the inside.

And let us not forget the blueberry superpowers. Packed full of vitamins and antioxidants, they can also improve cognitive health.

With British summertime always packed full of social events covering sport and food, British blueberries can now take their rightful place in our summertime diary, with the start of season (June 9^th) being a date not to be missed.