Petra and Karima strawberries and Malaika raspberries awarded for flavour and quality
The Summer Berry Company has won three gold awards for ‘exceptional quality and taste’ at the Excellent Taste Awards in London.
The berry grower, with farms in the south of England and Portugal, supplies retailers in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
Petra and Karima strawberries, as well as Malaika raspberries, all won gold following blind sensory tests by a panel of food specialists.
Petra, developed by Italian breeder Franco Zenti, was recognised for its “bright red colour, excellent consistency and very good flavour”.
Karima, bred by Italian breeder Mattivi, received gold for its “juicy texture, fresh taste and very good flavour”.
Completing the trio was Malaika, developed by Advanced Berry Breeding, recognised for its ”low acidity, excellent flavour, and an impressively large calibre”.
Each product was assessed unbranded with judges given no prior knowledge of the producer or variety. The awards are also cross-tasted by separate judging panels and repeat tastings, ensuring each product is judged solely on its sensory qualities.
The Summer Berry company says working with breeders that have diverse breeding programmes allow it to identify and commercialise the highest-perfomring varities across differerent geographies.
Joe de Ruse, genetics director at The Summer Berry Company, said: “Winning three gold awards in a single competition is fantastic recognition of both the quality of these varieties and the work that goes into realising their full potential.
“Great flavour starts with outstanding genetics, but producing fruit that consistently delivers for consumers also relies on precision growing, careful variety selection and close collaboration with some of the world’s leading breeders.”
He added: “These awards reflect the strength of those partnerships and our commitment to bringing retailers and consumers berries that deliver an exceptional eating experience.”
