London - Grapes grown in Britain are to go into high street supermarkets and the UK’s fruit bowls for the first time.
UK wine makers have used home-grown grapes for years but they were not suitable as dessert or table grapes.
Trials over three years have come up with two seedless varieties which can be grown on a commercial scale. The trials involved a partnership with Kent farmers, supermarket giant Asda and expert growers from Spain.
The grapes are now ready to be grown commercially and the first crops should be in British stores at the end of next summer.
Asda grapes category manager, Alberto Goldbacher, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to be reaping the rewards of this trial.
“We have tested lots of different varieties of grapes over the last three years and our main problem has been getting the sweetness of the grape right for our customers as the climate in the UK means we don’t always get the sunshine and light needed for this to develop within the grape.”
Daily Mail