Purple patch for British blueberries as sales boom

There is a higher level of automation in harvesting and packing blueberries, say growers, which means the labour cost is lower than for, say, raspberries. Photograph: ronstik/Alamy

Whether they add them to smoothies or salads or just pop them straight in their mouths, Britons are eating more blueberries than ever before. But whereas supermarket shelves used to be filled with imports, fruit growers are hailing a “British blueberry boom”.

Sales of British blueberries are up by 13% this year, despite challenging conditions for growers, according to British Berry Growers (BBG), the industry trade group. It said the rise was a “clear indicator of the rising consumer demand for healthier food choices and a testament to the quality of British blueberries”.