Variety sold under Waitrose No.1 range has come top in a survey of retailer strawberries in newspaper taste test
Driscoll’s Zara strawberries sold by Staffordshire berry grower Littywood Farm via Berry Gardens have been named the ‘best overall supermarket strawberry’ in a Guardian newspaper taste test.
The strawberries, which are sold under Waitrose’s No.1 range, were described as ‘incredible value for an interesting variety’, by chef Tom Hunt, in the paper’s weekend consumer review feature ‘The Filter’.
“A dense, firm, fleshy bite and gorgeously sweet – these score 11 on the Brix scale – and complex,” he wrote.
The variety beat stiff competition from a range of other leading berry producers, including Marion Regan of Hugh Lowe Farms and Sandy Booth of New Forest Fruit Company. A range of retailers were also represented, including Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda.
Hunt said he scored the strawberries on sweetness, using a Brix refractometer, as well as tartness for balance.
He advised shoppers to “go for fruit with a bright red body, fresh green leaves and a powerful but fresh aroma” and said he was “pleasantly surprised” to see unusual varieties and provenance information on packs.
Celebrating the news, grower Littywood Farm said: “We are absolutely thrilled to share that our Driscoll’s Zara strawberries, sold as Waitrose No. 1 have been named the ‘Best Overall Supermarket Strawberries’ by the Guardian.
“A massive thank you to our incredible team. Your hard work, dedication, and passion every single day are what make results like this possible.”
