British strawberries – a taste of summer

Summer has truly arrived when British strawberries are ripe and ready for picking. Although they are now available all year round, with foreign countries suppling our needs, you really can’t beat the fruit from our own soil. Reserving them as a seasonal treat makes them so much more special.

Growing your own strawberry plants in your garden is very rewarding and there’s nothing more exciting when lifting up the leaves to find the stems swathed in red juicy jewels. If you’re not much of a gardener or simply lack the space, you can still experience the thrill of the strawberry hunt by visiting one of the many pick-your-own farms in your area.

When the sun is warm, the sweet fragrant smell wafts into the air tempting even the most restrained of individuals to sneak a strawberry into their mouths whilst foraging.

The first berries are not often the sweetest though, they can lack the depth of flavour that the prolonged spells of sun can give them, that said, they are still lovely eaten unadorned. No sugar, no cream, just pure fruit bliss. Plucked straight from the plant whether homegrown or ‘stolen’ they just seem to taste better.

However, dairy produce does create a natural harmony, whether it’s cream, yogurt, crème fraîche or marscapone, you can’t go wrong, but never cook a strawberry unless it is in a jam of course.

Why not try our recipe for Strawberries & Cream Sponge Cake?