Early sunshine means this strawberry season is set to be a good one. From Aldi and Lidl to M&S and Waitrose, organic to basic, we test the best
(c) Ben Edmonds
At last! British strawberry season is upon us, and if retailers are telling the truth, we’re keener than ever to make the most of this short but unfailingly sweet season of ripe and juicy homegrown berries.
According to Ocado.com British strawberries are having a standout moment, as new data shows that searches have risen by 82 per cent year-on-year, while sales are up 40 per cent, and searches for “strawberries and cream” are up 58 per cent.
“The perfect combination of a cold winter, followed by one of the warmest and brightest springs on record, has brought us an abundance of great-tasting, British-grown strawberries,” says Ben l’Anson, senior fruit buyer for Ocado. “Strawberry season is also tracking about a week earlier than last year, thanks to the extra sunshine – resulting in some of our juiciest and sweetest early berries ever.”
Fancy a bargain? Sainsbury’s has slashed the price of its 250g punnets from £2.20 to £1 until 26 May, reporting a bumper crop from Scotland to Sussex thanks to early sunshine.
How to eat them
British strawberries taste great straight from the box but there are plenty of ways to bring out their flavour, from a sprinkle of sugar to a crack of black pepper or a splash of balsamic vinegar. And who can forget the scene in Pretty Woman in which Richard Gere recommends Julia Roberts try a strawberry to bring out the flavour in her champagne?
My favourite no-cook way to eat them is to macerate the berries, which means letting them sit in sugar or acid for a while to soften the flesh and draw the juices out, before serving with softly whipped or pouring cream, perhaps a soft-centred meringue, and some fresh mint or basil. Warming strawberries gently will bring the same macerating effect more quickly.
If you have any to spare, make a no-churn ice cream using double cream and condensed milk.
You’ll find some more divisive ideas on TikTok, such as a Polish dish of strawberry macaroni which is a sweet pasta dish where pasta is mixed with strawberry and cream sauce. It’s a surprisingly popular and delicious treat in Poland, often enjoyed as a summer snack. People online are also using strawberries as vessels for all kinds of toppings, from cream cheese to mustard, and calling it a “strawberry flight”.
The taste test
Our taste test of British strawberries covers a range of berries, including organic and from supermarkets’ best and basic lines. We assessed four from each punnet for appearance, tasting two to three and rating appearance, juiciness and sweetness to give an overall score out of five.
It goes without saying that a blind taste test remains subjective and everybody might choose individual favourites.
My best advice? Wait a week until we see a few more sunny days, and the berries on the shelves will taste even sweeter. Even better, find a local pick-your-own farm to make the most of our short but sensational season.
Waitrose
Waitrose British Strawberries, £3 for 400g/two for £4/£7.50 per kilo
Appearance: Bright red, a uniform medium size and near-perfect heart-shaped strawberries
Juiciness: Wonderfully soft and juicy
Sweetness: Average.
Overall: 3
Sainsbury’s
BEST OVERALL FLAVOUR
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British Strawberries, £4 for 400g (£3 with Nectar)/£10 per kilo
Appearance: Good deep colour, plump large berries.
Juiciness: Very good: juicy and succulent
Sweetness: Impressive. My favourite berry of the lot is in this bunch.
Overall: 4
Sainsbury’s British Strawberries, £2.20 for 250g (£1 with Nectar)/£8.80 per kilo
Appearance: Medium-sized to large and glossy, with a few imperfections.
Juiciness: Good with a nice bite.
Sweetness: Not especially sweet
Overall: 2.5
Marks & Spencer
M&S British Strawberries, £2.10 for 300g/£7 per kilo
Appearance: Quite a mix of sizes and colours, but good value for money
Juiciness: Could be better
Sweetness: Some mild sweetness
Overall: 3
Aldi
Aldi Specially Selected Red Ruby Strawberries, £2.99 for 400g/£7.48 per kilo
Appearance: Mixed sizes and unmarked mid-red glossy skins
Juiciness: Medium
Sweetness: A decent sweetness with some (welcome) tartness in the smaller fruits
Overall: 3.5
Aldi Nature’s Pick British Strawberries, £2.39 for 400g/£5.39 per kilo
Appearance: Wide mix of shapes and sizes
Juiciness: Average. Some of the bigger berries are a bit dry.
Sweetness: Not much
Overall: 2.5
Aldi Wonky Strawberries, £1.69 for 227g/£7.44 per kilo
Appearance: A little mottled but lovely, large heart shapes with pointed ends
Juiciness: Medium
Sweetness: Average levels of sweetness that last
Overall: 3
Ocado
BEST LUXURY BUY/OVERALL FAVOURITE
Dyson Farming British Strawberries, £4 for 250g/£16 per kilo
Appearance: Gorgeous glossy skin with uniformly shaped medium and large berries
Juiciness: Impressive: tender and tasty
Sweetness: Good, a rounded, even sweetness throughout the tasting
Overall: 4
Ocado British Strawberries, £3.70 for 600g (reduced to £2.75 until Monday)/£6.17 per kilo
Appearance: A few pleasingly huge strawbs, though some damaged skin
Juiciness: Very good
Sweetness: Medium.
Overall: 3.5
Berryworld British Strawberries, £3.50 for 300g/£11.67 per kilo
Appearance: Mixed medium to large fruits with some dark and glossy and others less vibrant
Juiciness: Fair
Sweetness: Varied across the berries tested
Overall: 3
Lidl
Lidl Deluxe Strawberries, £2.99 for 400g/£7.48 per kilo
Appearance: Mix of sizes, some fairly wonky without bright skin
Juiciness: Medium
Sweetness: Medium but mixed
Overall: 3
Tesco
Tesco Organic Strawberries, £2.50 for 300g/£8.33 per kilo
Appearance: Some imperfections on the skin but a lovely deep ruby colour and small to medium-sized berries
Juiciness: Pleasing.
Sweetness: Not overly sweet. Some have a decent depth of flavour
Overall: 3.5
GREAT VALUE
Tesco British Strawberries, £2.50 for 400g/£6.25 per kilo
Appearance: Plump, round, medium fruits
Juiciness: Good
Sweetness: Some of the best
Overall: 4
Co-op
Co-op ‘Grown in Britain’ Strawberries, £2.65 for 227g/£11.67 per kilo
Appearance: A lovely glossy red, medium to large berries
Juiciness: Very good: soft and succulent
Sweetness: Impressive sweetness
Overall: 4