A summer of steady heat brought the most consistent harvest in years, alongside challenges
The Summer Berry Company has reported an 11 per cent increase in blueberry volumes compared to last year, following the completion of its 2026 blueberry harvest.
The West Sussex-based grower attributed the stronger crop to a run of settled, warm weather throughout the season, with conditions remaining consistent from the start of picking in May.
The wider berry sector has also benefited from strong growing conditions. According to industry body British Berry Growers (BBG), volumes of blackberries, raspberries and strawberries have all been particularly strong this year.
The Summer Berry Company also carried out more pruning than usual across its blueberry bushes, allowing more light to ripen the fruit.
Bartosz Pinkosz, UK operations director at The Summer Berry Company, said: “Blueberries like consistency. They don’t respond well to a burst of sunshine followed by a week of rain – they want the same conditions, day after day, which is what we saw this year.
“The warm temperatures arrived early and remained steady which meant volumes remained consistent. Even our later varieties produced ahead of where we’d normally expect them,” he added.
However the unusually warm conditions also presented challenges for growers. According to the Met Office, summer 2026 was provisionally the UK’s hottest on record, while consistent dry conditions affected a number of domestic crops including brassicas and peas.
The Summer Berry Company said temperature sensors in the tunnels registered readings above 38°C at points during the summer, placing considerable stress on the plants. To bring temperatures down, tunnel teams responded by applying shading to the tunnel roofs to soften sunlight.
Jack Darnes, commercial director, added: “Every season tells a different story – and this one was early and remarkably consistent. It has meant shoppers got more British blueberries on the shelf sooner than they’re used to, in consistently good condition throughout the summer months.”
