As the UK prepares itself for summer, many eyes in the fresh produce sphere turn towards Israeli summer lines. And while a strong and highly specialised range of produce serves to tempt consumers across the globe, it is UK consumers who find themselves least able to resist the lure of such delicacies as Tommy Atkins and Kent mangoes, and Perlette and Superior grapes.

Agrexco has a non-stop product portfolio that should guarantee buoyant summer sales. The first grapes arrived in the UK just this week and all expectations are for a promising run. Sales manager John Fox explains: “Perlette has now arrived and will run through to August. New season apricots will be around soon and in the third week of July we'll start with the Israeli mango, and we'll shortly be running with the plums.”

In line with a fiercely competitive market, Agrexco's ability to fill the gaps left by other European suppliers and allow an uninterrupted system of supply is an indication of its joined-up approach. Plums are a pertinent example of this, with Carmel now extending the season to provide customers with product from June until mid-November. This will be the third year this has been achieved and the extension of the season also applies to nectarines and peaches. ëThe plums will begin next week,” Fox confirms, “although there will be very minimal loadings to start with. We're expecting good sizes and these will be packed in five kilo loose boxes.”

Israeli grapes are long awaited on the UK market and the product enjoys an enviable reputation. “Perlette are the only grapes around at this time,” says Ian Baird, fruit salesman at Leicester-based Smalley and Else. “Typically they are a sharp fruit and not overly sweet. I expect prices will be reasonable. They'll start at something like £1.80 per lb and then drop from there once more produce becomes available.”

And Fox is expecting respectable returns. “It's a premium grape at a competitive price,” he says, “and that's to do with the Carmel name. It's what everyone looks for and also shows that the quality is always guaranteed, regardless of the grape variety, for instance whether its Perlette, Superior or SBS.”

While the first shipment of new-season grapes has lived up to expectations at Carmel House, Fox reveals that the window for grapes is constantly being squeezed. “There is increasing competition from countries such as Brazil and Mexico,” he confirms, “and also from Spain. But our quantities will increase as the weeks go by and we're looking to put a lot more punnets of grapes into the market this year and we've also got new boxes.”

Much has been made of the closing window for Israeli grapes and it's an issue that has undoubtedly caused concern. This being so, Arava has taken the decision to reduce its grape harvest, and now only sends to the UK market when produce is guaranteed a clear run. “It's a policy that we introduced last year, to reduce the harvest window and we'll do the same again next year,” says UK marketing manager David Crossland. “As far as we're concerned this is the logical thing to do.”

Fortunately this is not an issue the company has come up against when dealing with its other summer line, mango. “The mango season is quite different in terms of competition and suppliers,” Crossland explains. “It's a different market altogether. Apart from anything else it's a long season for us ñ it runs for around 10 weeks.”

This year, Arava's grape production has been characterised by what Crossland terms as “difficulties”, one problem being that it has started late. “Last year we were supplying the UK by week 21 which is slightly earlier than a normal season would be but this year we're going to be late. In fact the season's have gone from one extreme to another.”

While recent storm damage in the growing region of the Arava Valley has damaged some of the fruit, causing a little bruising on the grapes, it is, in fact higher than usual temperatures that are responsible for the delay.

“Earlier on in the growing season we saw very high temperatures ñ more than 35°C which caused the plants to stop growing. Once the temperatures came back down again then the plants started to grow, but that really hot period is what delayed the crop.”

Arava's grape volumes are expected to increase by 20 per cent this year and its grape sequence runs the gauntlet of varieties from Perlette, Superior, Prime, Mystery, Spring and Blush. “It's a fairly short season as far as we're concerned,” Crossland continues. “We finish around mid-July. By this point there are good volumes coming in from other countries so it's a very narrow window for us.” Still, the fact that grapes are delayed has meant that Arava will lose out. “There's not too much good grape around at the moment from anywhere and the market is crying out for quality produce,” he concludes.

Mango is increasingly a summer staple with rising consumption in the UK. Working under the international brand “Alesia”, Agrexco aims to provide a year-round supply. To achieve this the company works with packhouses in Brazil and Peru to gain continuity in supplies. The Brazilian season runs from April to June, Israel from July to October and Brazil again from October to December with Peru completing the year from December to April.

“This year should be a far better year for mangoes, says Crossland. “Last season the crop was significantly reduced because of severe heat damage. The high temperatures meant that the fruit didn't set properly, which meant a reduction in fruit. But the side-effect of this was that what fruit there was left on the trees grew to an enormous size which also caused problems in the market.”

Thanks to less extreme temperatures, normal tonnages and a broader spread of sizes are expected, and there will be no problem finding a market for the varying size fruit. “The UK market will take most sizes,” he explains. “Between the retailers, food service and wholesalers there's a very flexible requirement on size.”

Arava begins its mango season with Tommy Atkins and Kent and has lately been working on the variety Maya, which starts in August and is sold in a ready-to-eat format. “It's quite a mature fruit and a premium line. Unfortunately last year it fell foul of the weather and we weren't able to bring any into the UK,” he says. This time round, although Maya makes up just five per cent of Arava's mango crop, predictions are more optimistic.

In line with increased consumption around the globe, exotics is a sector that has experienced a massive surge in growth and has a number of notable successes. Lychees have enjoyed increased popularity and Israel has also become a major supplier of Medjoul dates. Green figs come on-stream from May onwards and in smaller quantities, red pitahaya is available from July.

Mehadrin Tnuport is Israel's largest grower and exporter of citrus and a leading supplier of the Jaffa brand, of which it offers year-round delivery thanks to initiatives designed to extend the season of availability. And in addition to its staple citrus crop, the company also supplies avocado from September until April. Mango will run from August to November but it is the bitter-sweet Kumquat that provides a valuable addition to the summer sendings, arriving between October and June, with Sharon Fruit from mid-November until February.

Herbs, while less of a seasonal product, owing to year-round production, are also an important line for Israeli producers. And herb ranges continue to expand at an impressive rate, matched only by the level of investment injected into their production. “We've undertaken considerable investment in cool rooms and the cool chain in Israel,” Crossland says. “We've been expanding cold storage intake facilities and at least four of our growers are increasing their cooling facilities. In two of these instances growers are rebuilding their packhouses. This should then show a considerable improvement in the end quality of the produce.”

Arava has also taken steps to improve its logistical operations for the transportation of herbs. “Basil is now travelling separately from the other herbs,” says Crossland. “Because this is the only way we can ensure that the product arrives in optimum condition. The reason for this is the difference in temperature. Basil needs to be kept at 12-15°C and other herb lines do best at 1-5°C, so it makes sense to keep them apart. All in all there has been a series of cool-chain investment by both our growers and the company, and we are now running dedicated trucks from the Netherlands to the UK.”

With the considerable attention currently being paid to increasing the window of opportunity for Israel summer lines and the focus on providing a longer, uninterrupted chain of supply, success seems almost guaranteed for Israeli producers as they continue to invest in technology, logistical operations and new varieties.

With an emphasis divided between exotic lines and long-time favourites, Israeli products are guaranteed a welcome reception on these shores. And as the UK prepares itself for the all-too-short heat of the summer, it looks as though it'll be a scorcher of a season for Israel.