Winter Cherry Season

The Winter cherry season has been very successful so far with sales exceeding 300% year on year. Unlike the summer season all fruit throughout the Winter has been brought in loose to be packed in the UK, enabling us to be selective and ensure the freshest, best quality cherry is available for ASDA.

The season started with South African supply from Leon Freeman, and was supported by Argentinean fruit from Carleti and Salentein. We were able to start supplying Cherry earlier than was originally anticipated with the first fruit arriving in the UK at the end of October to make ASDA sales for week 48.

The AMS Cherry ambition is to achieve a 52 week availability for ASDA from its existing and growing supply base. Generally though the worldwide cherry production still has a long way to go to achieve this, and naturally a low availability in the latter end of the season forces higher prices that can be difficult to justify at retail.

South Africa had a rain free season this year which allowed for a consistent supply of excellent cherries. We received two main varieties out of SA, Bing and the darker variety Gian Heidelfinger.

The Argentinian fruit started well but rainfall in late December destroyed an important part of the later crop. New decelopments in the various area of Argentine are in process and show promise for fruit availability next year. The main variety received for the season was Bing. Fruit received from Australian supplier CherryHill was of good quality at the start of the season but due to irrigation problems poorer quality and somewhat dissapointing fruit arrived later in December. We received mixed varieties throughout with the majority being Bing, and a later arrival of Stella.

Saved by the Chileans! The Chilean fruit that we are currently receiving from Copefruit is reported to be come of the best fruit we have seen so far and early indications are that this will continue until February.

Although we are not yet to complete the Winter Cherry season, we have had a successful first Winter season to date, which has been supported by a consistent supply of a good quality fruit from a number of newly developed suppliers from the Southern Hemisphere.

Spring 2003