British blueberries boom this summer as ideal spring weather boosts yields, size, and flavour across UK farms.
Farmers are reporting one of the best blueberry seasons in recent memory. The harvest has jumped by nearly 25% compared to last year. By the end of August, growers expect to pick around 5,133 tonnes of blueberries. That’s a significant rise from the 4,187 tonnes recorded by the same point in 2024.
This season started early, with picking beginning almost two weeks ahead of schedule. Experts say strong light levels and very little rain have played a huge role. Daniel Martin, commercial director at S&A Produce, says the crop is “evenly ripened” and “excellent in size.” He adds that they expect great flavour and shelf life from this year’s fruit.
At the same time, sales of blueberries are up by 9% year-on-year. The growing awareness of the fruit’s health benefits is driving more people to buy. Larger and juicier berries are also helping increase demand.
Growers are combining weather success with modern methods. New blueberry varieties produce more fruit and cope better with climate stress. Meanwhile, investment in robotic technology is reducing reliance on manual labour.
Hall Hunter, one of the UK’s largest growers, is leading the automation push. Managing director Jim Floor says machines now harvest 10% of their crop. Next year, this will likely rise to 30%. The rest still requires hand-picking, especially for more delicate fruits like strawberries and raspberries.
Despite advances, robots aren’t fully ready to replace human workers. Floor believes progress is steady but not yet suitable for widespread commercial use.
British blueberries boom following a “perfect spring” that also boosted other crops. Early May saw a glut of strawberries, aubergines, and tomatoes. Sunny, dry conditions created ideal ripening weather.
Growers even reported strawberries weighing up to 50 grams, though most averaged about 30 grams. Nick Marston, chair of British Berry Growers, says all UK berry crops are up by about 25% this year. June’s cracking weather helped ripen berries that developed well during the cooler start to spring.
However, Marston warns that the total harvest may not remain 25% higher. Early ripening could mean production drops off later in the season. That will depend on weather conditions moving forward.
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