UK table grapes Asda

Traditionally the UK has not been a producer of table grapes

Asda is set to stock what it claims are the UK’s first-ever retail-ready seedless table grapes in mid 2016 after a successful growing trial in Kent.

The trial has been taking place over the last three years using eight varieties of red, green and black table grapes. Spanish growers travelled to the UK as part of the initiative to offer growing advice, with progress regularly monitored.

At least two varieties of seedless table grapes can now be grown in UK soil, Asda said, with 2015 as the first year the grape vines have been full of edible produce. The crop is expected to be in stores early next year.

“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,” said Asda grapes category manager, Alberto Goldbacher.

“We’ve now seen great promise and are happy to move forward with this trial on a much larger scale.”

The new UK crop of grapes will be harvested between August and October, meaning they will be on shelf to coincide with the Spanish grape season ending.

As such, Asda said the move will reduce its carbon footprint as it won’t have to source as many grapes from countries such as Brazil.

“Grapes grown in the UK have previously only been suitable for making wine as they’re typically very small, have a thick skin and have a large seed in the middle. For the first time ever in the UK, these new table grapes are exactly what you’d expect to see on a supermarket shelf, in both look and taste,” Goldbacher added.

Asda said it is hoping to educate growers across the UK to develop UK table grape production into an industry-wide initiative by 2018.

The retailer said it sells 1.4 million punnets of grapes every week, and currently imports the fruit from 15 different countries, primarily Spain, but also India, South America and Chile.