As The Weather Worsened, British Blackcurrants Boomed!

Despite the abysmal weather that Britain was subjected to this summer, the frequent downpours proved extremely beneficial to the British blackcurrant growers who experienced one of the most outstanding seasons in recent years. The heavy rainfall throughout June and July encouraged healthy swelling of this year's blackcurrants combined with short outbursts of sunshine which helped to boost their succulent, sweet taste.

The 2007 harvest began for most farmers around w/c 16 July, slightly later than last year. Picking was hampered in some areas due to the heavy rainfall and high winds which knocked some of the fruit off the bushes, but considering the rain and the lack of sun most growers around the country have reported very high brix levels. Harvest figures are estimated at 13,000 tonnes for the British 2007 crop, which is similar to last year.

The British blackcurrant has long been recognised for its immense range of nutrients and antioxidants, however it was only after extensive research was carried out by the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) earlier this year, that the blackcurrant was heralded the No.1 Superfruit when tested against other fruits such as blueberries, bananas and raspberries, for their disease fighting components and health benefits.

In addition, recent health claims that the high level of anthocyanins contained with blackcurrants could help combat Alzheimer's disease as well as cystitis and other urinary tract infections, fuelled interest amongst the health conscious British public who were keen to incorporate the superfruit into their diet. As a result, the British Blackcurrant Foundation was inundated with over 5,000 enquiries from consumers keen to locate the availability of blackcurrants in their area.

The successful campaign helped to raise awareness of the forgotten fruit's health benefits throughout the summer months, which resulted in the reported influx of blackcurrant sales throughout major retailers nationwide. This increase in sales has therefore identified that consumers are keen to incorporate the British home grown superfruit into their diet for its extensive array of health benefits. Ultimately, this raises the question as to whether retailers are adequately stocked in order to accommodate this significant rise in demand?

Jo Hilditch, Chairman of the Blackcurrant Foundation commented; "Our main focus for next year is to encourage major retailers to stock fresh British Blackcurrants in greater quantities, to trigger the interest in frozen blackcurrants so as to create year-round appeal and to increase the use of British blackcurrants in various other formats such as juices and smoothies.

The blackcurrant market in the UK is, as we know, much bigger than the current demand for British blackcurrants. Our challenge has to be to infiltrate new markets such as yoghurts, desserts, drinks and sorbets and take share from those UK manufacturers currently using imported blackcurrants."