Despite cold weather setting in and Christmas looming, it seems consumers are still keen to tuck into delicious fresh berries. Berry sales have continued strongly throughout autumn, with consumers enjoying a season of mellow fruitfulness.
The past month has seen the value of the berry share of the fresh fruit market increase to 24 percent. Blueberries and raspberries have experienced the biggest growth out of all berries.
And autumn and winter months are the perfect time to enjoy the delectable berry as a pick-me-up. Dr Emma Derbyshire, British Berry Growers’ public health nutritionist, explained: “Berries are a great healthy snack that offer an abundant source of vitamins, minerals and phyto (plant) nutrients all of which have been linked to a wide range of health benefits.
“Research from the University of Reading[1] has revealed that consuming berries in the morning could sustain or improve cognitive function for up to six hours after consumption. Snacking on punnets of berries is a great and easy way to boost our fruit intake and improve concentration and cognitive performance.”
Over the past year, sales of berries have increased in the UK and consumption of fresh berries has grown by over 200 percent since 2007. The rise in demand comes from an increase in the number of health-conscious Brits, who recognise the nutritional benefits berries pack for every calorie consumed. Berries now make up a remarkable 24 percent of all fruit sold in the UK, and this has pushed the value of the berry industry over £1.3 billion[2].
[1]Whyte, R., Cheng, N., Lamport, D., Butler, L, & Williams,C.M. (2017) Polyphenol rich mixed berries maintain cognitive function over a 6 hour period. School of Pscyhology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, United Kingdon.
[2] Kantar data across 52 weeks, week ending 4th November 2018