Mack has successfully grown seedless table grapes on British soil, and expects the product to be on retail shelves before the year is out.
The fresh produce giant has been working in partnership with students at Sussex's Plumpton College, with the first plantings made in Plumpton in 2011. A 22-metre polytunnel protected the vines from the elements, although some were also planted outside.
Seven popular commercial varieties were used in all, including both red and white grapes, and more varieties are likely to follow for trial soon.
A spokesperson for Mack, said: 'All the vines took well and were trained accordingly, with some clearly excelling over others in their development. While the weather has thrown us some interesting challenges, the first edible grapes appeared in 2013.
'For 2014, our maturation and fruiting levels have reached promising levels, and we expect UK seedless grapes to be on sale for the first time in a UK retailer.'
Further plantings have been made in Kent, although the company admits it'll be a while before the venture becomes 'commonplace.'
Mack has also been working with Sainsbury's and Stockbridge Technology Centre on extending the British strawberry season.
The work has gone so well, in fact, that British-grown strawberries - usually available from April through to early December - could be available this Christmas.
The project utilises the unripened berries on end-of-season plants that don't get harvested, and the research team has been looking at the role LED lighting has to play in getting the fruit to a saleable condition during the dark, winter months.
The end goal, according to Peter Czarnobaj, product technologist of soft fruit at Sainsbury’s, is to offer a British strawberry all year round.
'For now, though, it's all about ensuring that any extension to the season involves a crop that is high-yielding enough, with a high-quality taste,' he said.
Before such a project is rolled out on a wider commercial scale, Czarnobaj acknowledges that the cost of installing an LED system will have to come down.
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