Aldi has announced an update for shoppers across its stores, pledging to bring sweeter British-grown blackberries to its shelves from this month. The budget supermarket revealed that carefully selected varieties, bred for a naturally sweeter and less tart taste, will go on sale across its stores nationwide starting May 21.
New Varieties for Enhanced Sweetness
By working closely with suppliers, including Driscoll's as its principal blackberry supplier, Aldi is introducing varieties that promise a more consistent and sweet flavour. The enhanced sweetness is expected to fuel demand, with Aldi forecasting a 20% surge in blackberry sales this season. Last year, the supermarket sold over 228 tonnes of blackberries, equivalent to 1.5 million punnets.
All fresh blackberries stocked in Aldi stores will be 100% British-grown, giving shoppers greater access to homegrown fruit as the summer season begins. The berries are taste-tested throughout the season and harvested at peak ripeness to guarantee consistent flavour.
Rollout Timeline
British blackberries will begin appearing in selected stores from the start of May, before a nationwide rollout on May 21. Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: "We expect our blackberries to taste better than ever this season. By working closely with our British suppliers to improve sweetness and consistency, we're making sure customers can enjoy the very best of homegrown fruit and keep coming back for more."
James Crook, customer development director at Driscoll's, added: "Exceptional flavour is the result of years of dedicated natural breeding and selecting only the finest blackberry varieties. By working closely with Aldi, we are able to grow and harvest fruit at the optimal moment, delivering British blackberries that are naturally sweeter, more succulent, and consistently high quality throughout the season."
Support for British Farmers
In a further boost for British farmers, Aldi recently announced its intention to expand long-term agreements with UK produce and horticulture suppliers. The supermarket aims to source at least 50% of its domestic produce through long-term partnerships by the close of 2027.
