This Christmas, British consumers will experience a festive first: fresh, home-grown strawberries on their dinner tables. In a landmark development for UK agriculture, The Summer Berry Company has successfully extended the strawberry growing season to a full 12 months, ending the traditional reliance on winter imports.
The Technology Behind the Year-Round Berry
This breakthrough is powered by cutting-edge technology at the firm's glasshouses near Chichester in West Sussex. An innovative system uses 2,600 LED units to create artificial sunlight, tricking the plants into believing it is springtime even in the depths of December. These LEDs not only aid photosynthesis during the dark winter months but also produce heat, which is efficiently blown down towards the crops by integrated fans.
The operation is further supported by a combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the farm. This integrated approach, which utilises renewable energy sources, allows the greenhouses to be maintained at a consistent 18C to 22C throughout winter. This significantly reduces the site's dependence on fossil fuels, making the process more sustainable.
Economic and Environmental Impact
The shift to year-round production marks a major change for the industry. Historically, the UK market has been supplied by imports from countries like Egypt, Spain, and Jordan between November and March. This new technology slashes those food miles, with the industry expecting to cut around 400 tonnes of overseas imports.
The Summer Berry Company is on track to double its winter production volumes, aiming for just over 400 tonnes in the 2025-2026 season. To facilitate this growth, the growing area has been expanded from 1.8 hectares to 3.6 hectares.
This expansion is also a boon for the local economy and employment. The Chichester glasshouse now provides continuous, stable work for around 20 harvest workers, 15 husbandry workers, five packhouse staff, one student, and a management team of about 10 people, moving beyond purely seasonal roles.
A Superior Taste for the Festive Season
According to Bartosz Pinkosz, UK Operations Director at The Summer Berry Company, the new method produces a fruit that is superior to winter imports. He stated, "We believe our new technology provides a far superior-tasting fruit which is less energy intensive to grow at our farm in West Sussex."
Among the varieties grown is the Fandango strawberry, which was recently awarded a top three-star Superior Taste Award by an international panel of chefs and sommeliers. Shoppers will find these fresh British strawberries on the shelves of major supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Morrisons this Christmas.
