Articles by Josie Clarke

World

Consumers set to eat fresh British-grown strawberries at Christmas

Consumers are set to see fresh British-grown strawberries widely available this Christmas after a firm extended the season to 12 months with new technology. The Summer Berry Company, one of the UK’s leading fruit producers based near Chichester, is now growing British strawberries at a commercial scale all year round with the help of LED technology through the colder months. The investment reduces the site’s reliance on fossil fuels, with the system using a mix of renewable heat and power, LED lighting and energy storage to recreate spring conditions indoors. The firm installed a combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the farm which burns gas to generate electricity, which in turn powers 2,600 LED units which create artificial sunlight, giving plants the impression that it is April, rather than December. In the greenhouse, the LEDs hang above the rows of plants to aid photosynthesis during the darkest months, and fans in the LED units then blow heat produced by the lights down towards the crop, further reducing its energy use. The greenhouses are heated to between 18C and 22C throughout the winter. The development marks a major shift for the industry, which has traditionally relied on imports between November and March. The new technology means the company can now supply fresh British strawberries to retailers 365 days a year while cutting food miles from Middle East imports, which have historically fulfilled consumer demand during the winter. As a result, the industry is expecting to produce fruit over winter of higher quality than typical Egyptian or Spanish imports while potentially cutting around 400 tonnes brought in from overseas. The Summer Berry Company said it was on track to double volumes previously grown in winter to just over 400 tonnes in the current 2025 to 2026 season. The growing area has also doubled, expanding from 1.8 hectares to 3.6 hectares. The year-round operation is also supporting stable, local employment as the Chichester glasshouse has provided continuous work as opposed to purely seasonal for around 20 harvest workers, 15 husbandry workers, five workers in the packhouse and one student, and an agronomy and management team of about 10 people. Among the strawberry varieties grown at The Summer Berry Company are Malling Ace, Karima, Favori, Florice, Limore One and Fandango – the last of which was recently recognised as one of the tastiest strawberries in the world after receiving the top three-star Superior Taste Award from an international panel of chefs and sommeliers. Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Morrisons will stock the berries. Bartosz Pinkosz, UK operations director at The Summer Berry Company, said: “We’re all familiar with British strawberries at Wimbledon and Royal Ascot but not so used to them being served on Christmas Day after the turkey. “Typically, the demand for winter strawberries has been fulfilled by flying them in from countries like Egypt and Jordan but we believe our new technology provides a far superior-tasting fruit which is less energy intensive to grow at our farm in West Sussex.”

Technology

Heineken cuts strength of Foster’s lager as duty rises and sales slump

Heineken UK is cutting the strength of its Foster’s lager to take advantage of duty savings on weaker beers. The brewer said dropping the lager’s strength from 3.7% to 3.4% would allow customers to “benefit from more competitive pricing as inflationary pressures continue to affect the wider market”. It added: “This follows the introduction of differential duty rates by the UK government, which encourage brewers to innovate at lower ABV (alcohol by volume) rates in support of customers wanting to moderate their alcohol consumption.” The change, which takes effect from February, would also support pubs and retailers with a “competitively priced classic lager”, it said. Foster’s ABV was previously lowered from 4% to 3.7% in January 2023. Heineken UK said: “The decision to adjust the ABV of Foster’s reflects our commitment to helping consumers make responsible choices, while supporting pubs and retailers with a competitively priced classic lager alongside a portfolio of brands across the price and ABV spectrum. “Our master brewers have spent many months refining the recipe to ensure the taste remains unmistakably Foster’s – crisp, balanced, and refreshing.” Off-trade sales of Foster’s fell by 13.7% to £252.8 million in the year to April, according to NIQ data. A number of products have been reformulated since the introduction of new duty savings on beers with an ABV of 3.4% or below in August 2023, including Carlsberg Pilsner, Coors Light and Grolsch.

Technology

Britons set to spend £4bn more this Black Friday despite scam fears

Britons are set to spend £4 billion more over this year’s Black Friday weekend than last year, despite increasing concern among consumers about poor deals and scams, figures suggest. Spending is set to reach almost £14 billion over the sales event, with consumers holding off on major purchases beforehand and planning to buy for Christmas, a survey for e-commerce marketing platform Omnisend found. Black Friday still dominates the sales period, with shoppers spending £299 on average on the sales, an increase of £83 year-on-year. However, Cyber Monday and the days following the sales weekend will also see a rise in spending, with the average basket now totalling £229 – up £70 from last year. Omnisend has predicted that a third of consumers plan to spend more than last year, while just 14% expect to cut back. Amazon remains the top destination for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers, with 76% looking for deals across the retailer, but many are also turning to Chinese marketplaces such as Temu (22%), Shein (21%) and TikTok Shop (14%). Previous Omnisend data suggests that 71% of consumers plan to cut spending overall at Christmas, putting further pressure on retailers to “get it right” over the Black Friday weekend from November 28-30. However, the spectre of spiralling debt is influencing spending decisions, with buy now, pay later (BNPL) options such as Klarna and PayPal unlikely to prove as popular this year, the poll found. Just 17% of people say that they will use BNPL options over the Black Friday weekend, rising to a third of people (32%) who would consider using it for big ticket purchases only. Clothing and accessories remain the most popular category, with half of UK shoppers (49%) planning to make fashion purchases, followed by technology and electronics (45%), and toys (28%), as families plan ahead for festive gifts. Marty Bauer, retail and ecommerce spokesman at Omnisend, said: “This notorious American sales event has been popular in the UK now for the best part of a decade and it looks likely to be another busy year for retailers. “In the weeks leading up to Black Friday, start researching the regular prices of items you’re interested in. It pays to start scouting potential deals early. “Many retailers inflate prices leading up to Black Friday, only to offer discounts that may not be as significant as they seem. Knowing the original price helps you determine if a deal is genuine. “If you are signed up for newsletter emails from a brand, go back and look at their offers from last year. Many brands have pricing strategies that don’t change much from year to year, so this will give you a good indication of which products go on sale and when, helping you understand when a deal is actually a deal.” The figures come as consumer groups warned shoppers to be “extra cautious” with Black Friday deals. Citizens Advice consumer expert Jane Parsons said: “Black Friday is a prime opportunity for cyber scammers to take advantage of consumers looking to bag a bargain. “By tempting people with special offers, fake reviews and sought-after items at rock bottom prices, criminals will try to catch people out by disguising their scams as legitimate deals. “They will often create a sense of urgency to steal your money so don’t rush your purchase. Research the company you’re buying from and be wary of suspicious web links. Paying by debit or credit card can also give you extra protection if things go wrong.” Which? consumer law expert Lisa Webb said: “With Black Friday bargains bombarding your email inbox and social media feeds, it can be hard to weed out the legitimate offers from the scams. “Shoppers should be extra cautious with Black Friday deal emails and double check the email address is genuinely from the retailer before clicking on anything. If you are unsure if an offer is genuine, check the retailer’s website directly. “On social media, treat any deals posted from newly created accounts with suspicion. You can use a domain checker like who.is to check when the website was created – any newly created website should ring alarm bells. “If you think you might have fallen victim to a Black Friday scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Action Fraud or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.”