The nation’s blackcurrant crop is 'thriving', with an anticipated yield of over 11,600 tonnes this year despite adverse weather.
The Blackcurrant Foundation, representing 36 growers, has unveiled the impressive figure despite what it called 'another difficult growing season'.
Growers faced challenging weather patterns, with one farm in Kent seeing an exceptionally wet winter, which recorded 1109.6 mm of rain by the end of May.
The warm winter brought insufficient winter chill for older blackcurrant varieties across most regions except Scotland, the Blackcurrant Foundation said.
However, the groundwork for the 2024 crop was laid in July 2023, when favourable weather allowed the bushes to produce extension growth, which flowered this year and underpins the current harvest.
Additionally new climate-resilient varieties like Ben Lui and Ben Macdui are being harvested in quantity for the first time this year, and early yields and quality have been 'very promising'.
Over 90% of British blackcurrants are destined for Ribena, with a small amount finding their way to the supermarket shelves and other products, including frozen formats and other soft and alcoholic drinks.
Jo Hilditch, chairperson at the Blackcurrant Foundation, welcomed this year's harvest, but warned about changing weather patterns.
“The berries are the biggest I've ever seen, high in sugar and ready to go," she said.
"However, climate change is a serious issue, and the weather earlier this year made it very difficult and sometimes impossible to get our cuttings in the ground.”
Simon Hill, senior category buyer at drinks firm Suntory GB&I, said the spring weather was conducive to good growing conditions with plenty of rain, and unlike Europe, UK growers escaped any late frosts, which can damage blossom.
"Warm weather in late May and early June accelerated the fruit ripening, and we started processing earlier than usual," he added.
"Recent wet weather has affected the fruit sugar but has given very good yields and a heavy crop."
