In praise of English strawberries

As soon as we have our first delivery of Durley strawberries, word seems to get around, and they start flying out of the shop. It amazes me each year when customers comment on how “real” the strawberries taste. It got me thinking - why do we all go a bit mad for strawberries once they re-appear on our shelves every year?

First, their colour is glorious and regal, redolent of the guard's uniforms and the flag. Despite this lofty association - they are the most egalitarian of all the berries - they're not posh in the slightest; everyone in the land knows what a strawberry tastes like. And like their most favoured companion - lashings of cream - there's a good dollop of nostalgia associated with them, too - who didn't grow up being fed sticky jam sandwiches? 

Also, they have a status that translates beyond these shores. Ask guests to our fair isles to name the fruit that epitomises their image of England, and they'll likely reply strawberries! The word 'iconic' gets thrown around too much without justifiable merit; however, the English strawberry might pass muster. What is Wimbledon without bowls of strawberries and cream? What is a picnic in the park without a punnet or two? What is a Victoria sponge without a smattering of jam? These things are as quintessentially British as tea and queuing.

For us, here at West Lea Farm Shop, Strawberries signal summer. Almost every season, we're treated to fresh pickings of the sweetest strawberries we've ever tasted. What makes these strawberries even more remarkable is that they're grown just a short distance from us in Durley, making them 'just picked' by the time they get to us and tastier for it too. We're almost evangelical about the home-grown varieties' superiority - even setting aside the food miles, nothing truly beats an English strawberry, except perhaps a Scottish one! 

We're not joking when we say our strawberries go quickly from the shelves - so to avoid disappointment, we offer our customers a 'strawberry reservation service'. Call the shop, and we'll keep as many punnets as you desire by - so you'll always have enough for a trifle, tart or daiquiri throughout the summer.