If your bowl of strawberries and cream tastes particularly sweet this year, you are not mistaken. It is a bumper summer for strawberries, with recent weather conditions making them more abundant and delicious than ever, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Sales of strawberries are up 240% for 9cm pots, and the weather has encouraged smaller but earlier, sweeter, and more bountiful crops in gardens.
Why Are UK Strawberries So Sweet This Year?
The ideal weather conditions for garden strawberries have been the key driver. According to the RHS, the fruit flowers before leafing but over a long period. This year, that meant strawberries were protected from the late frost in May while still getting the best of June’s sunshine. The result has been extra sweetness and earlier ripening.
The same trend has been true for raspberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, and whitecurrants — with blackberries and blueberries to follow later in the summer. Gardeners are also experimenting with unusual breeds of berries to make the most of the sun, the RHS said.
Unusual Berry Varieties Gaining Popularity
Guy Barter, the chief horticulturist adviser for the RHS, noted: “With a changing climate, gardeners are more confident in the potential of a strong crop and seeking out more unusual varieties including wineberries, honeyberries, and pinkcurrants.” Honeyberries — elongated blue fruits said to taste like a mix of blackberries and blueberries — have been particularly popular.
Wineberry, an Asian breed of raspberry with shiny orange-red berries and a sherbet taste, is increasingly common in gardens. Translucent pink currants, the colour of rose quartz, are also selling well. All sales of fruit plants are up 25% on last year.
What About Figs and Grapes?
The gardens owned by the RHS are starting to heave with fruit, including figs. In 2024, the fig plantation at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey was moved outdoors after a period under glass — and since conditions in the 1980s killed it off, it is now bearing fruit again. Grapes should ripen earlier than usual because of June’s weather, which is good news as later harvests are more at risk from autumn’s wet and cold.
Wild Strawberries: A Taste of History
Berries will also be the star of the show at the RHS Badminton flower show, which begins next week. Delicate, wild strawberries will peek out of the greenery at the Ruskin Mill Trust’s artisan woodland craft garden. Wild strawberry is a native British plant, while the garden strawberry is a hybrid of two American varieties.
The wild berries are small and intensely sweet, and were once the only type eaten in Britain. The Tudors and Stuarts gathered them from the wild and planted them in their gardens. Though delicious, they were not a commercially viable crop. In 1822, the RHS launched its first citizen science project to find all the varieties of strawberries grown in its members’ gardens in an effort to discover the plumpest, juiciest variety, which helped growers.
Tips for Growing Your Own Sweet Strawberries
If you want to replicate this bumper harvest at home, consider these expert tips:
- Choose the right variety: Look for sweet, early-ripening types like ‘Honeoye’ or ‘Elsanta’.
- Protect from late frost: Use cloches or fleece if a cold snap is forecast.
- Maximise sunlight: Plant in a south-facing spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
- Water wisely: Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, especially during fruiting.
FAQ
Why are UK strawberries sweeter this year?
June’s abundant sunshine, combined with protection from late May frosts, created ideal conditions for strawberries to ripen earlier and develop higher sugar content. This has resulted in extra sweetness and a bumper crop.
What other fruits are benefiting from the weather?
Raspberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, whitecurrants, figs, and grapes are all thriving. Blackberries and blueberries are expected to follow later in the summer. Unusual varieties like honeyberries and wineberries are also gaining popularity.
Can I grow sweet strawberries at home?
Yes. Choose early-ripening varieties, plant in full sun, protect from frost, and keep the soil consistently moist. With the right care, you can enjoy a sweet harvest similar to this year’s bumper crop.
