Is Britain's love affair with strawberries over?

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:51 AM on 02nd June 2009

 

 

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They are the quintessential fruit of the English summer - mandatory with cream and Wimbledon tennis championships.

But we may be losing our appetite for strawberries.

Sales of the fruit in the 12 months to April 12 were down by 9.2 per cent, according to retail analysts TNS.

The value of berries sold was also down 3 per cent to £390million for the same period.

 

 

A symbol of the British summer: Sales of strawberries are falling - but is the credit crunch, a poor crop, or year-round availability to blame?

 

The figures suggest that the British love affair with strawberries, which has endured for 500 years, is waning.

 

TNS claims the berries' price means consumers have decided to do without amid the squeeze on household budgets.

However, this is challenged by producers, who admit sales are down but blame Mother Nature for poor crops.

Strawberries are an iconic summer food, a seasonal treat that used to appear with the sun. Today, they are available all year round.

Every year about 27,000kg of strawberries are eaten during Wimbledon - accompanied by 7,000 litres of cream.

:stunned: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I love strawberries :bigcry:

 

 

 

I think I've got to take things in my own hands when I get there, i.e. eat a tonne of strawberries myself :P

They're my favourite fruit and I've been eating loads since the roadside huts opened last week................... :D

Maybe the release of the Strawberry Swing single will help boost strawberry sales? :thinking:

They are the quintessential fruit of the English summer - mandatory with cream and Wimbledon tennis championships.

:uhoh:

 

Can't get tennis out of my head :P

I love strawberries but they are quite pricely in Malaysia :\

:uhoh:

 

Can't get tennis out of my head :P

I just can't get tennis out of my head

Boy it's more than I dare to think about

 

:uhoh:

I just can't get tennis out of my head

Boy it's more than I dare to think about

 

:uhoh:

 

Strawberry racket swing??:rolleyes:

:lol:

 

:P

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :strawberry:

 

:blush: i like strawberries.

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :strawberry:

 

:blush: i like strawberries.

 

And strawberry waffles??:rolleyes:

I like Strawberries too, but not to worry, once Coldplay release the vid to SS, all will be better!!!

I love strawberries but I hardly ever buy them. They're way too expensive and cheap ones are usually tasteless.

Arguably Britain's two most successful bands have both written strawberry-related songs ("Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay and "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles).

I'd buy them more often if they weren't always bruised and starting to rot at the supermarket. I swear, everytime I pick up a packet at a supermarket, bruised, ewwy, starting to go off, yuk.

 

I used to live right opposite a strawberry farm growing up, they let us pick our own punnets for cheap... don't think they're open now 'cuz of drought.

Ah I remember the time I picked fresh strawberries...

 

:wacky:

 

They were the best strawberries I ever had.