The revival of the great British cherry

When it comes to cherries, the English grown variety are hard to beat. That is why the news that our once ailing cherry industry is back in good health again after a long decline in the late 20th century is so heart-warming for fruit lovers. Incredibly, the British cherry industry was on its last legs at the turn of the Millennium and at that time we as a nation produced just 400 tonnes a year - a paltry amount compared to what we were producing during the industry's heighday in the post-years.

To give some comparison, this year, thanks to newer, more manageable tree varieties and new growing techniques British growers will produce around 2000 tonnes during this year's eight-week UK season which lasts until the end of August. And because of their great reputation the British grown cherries are expected to be snapped up as soon as they go on sale. Growers have calculated that if all goes according to plan, they will be able to completely satisfy the UK's annual cherry demand of 9000 tonnes by the end of the decade. Tom Hulme is a cherry farmer based near Canterbury, Kent, who was tempted into the business after the arrival of easier to manage trees.

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