Strawberry joy as supermarkets set for early batch of the sweet fruit
ENGLISH strawberries are due to land in supermarkets up to a week earlier than last year due to the relatively mild winter.
English strawberries will appear in Waitrose up to a week early
Waitrose says English strawberries will be on their shelves later this week - several days earlier than when they first went on sale on March 7th last year.
Their first season English strawberries ripen on Hall Hunter Farm in the village of Leythorne, near Chichester in West Sussex.
The mild winter has caused an early crop of strawberries
Strawberries and plums flourish in Warsaw s urban gardens
Long-term producer Harry Hall has worked alongside Waitrose for 20 years, providing shoppers with the "very best, juiciest" strawberries.
Nicki Baggott, Strawberry Buyer for Waitrose, said: "The arrival of these first English strawberries shows that, despite the recent cold snap, spring is now well on its way and those pining for sunshine can start to prepare summery dishes such as Eton Mess and strawberries and cream."
She added: "At Waitrose we pride ourselves in the quality of our strawberries, making every bite a delight."
The strawberry is a staple of British summertime cuisine
Strawberries are a member of the rose family
Strawberries are not actually classified fruits as their seeds are on the outside. Strawberry plants are runners, and are not produced by seeds.
They have an average of 200 seeds per fruit and are in fact a member of the rose family.