British strawberry season is upon us, and if retailers are telling the truth, we’re keener than ever to make the most of this short but unfailingly sweet season of ripe and juicy homegrown berries. According to Ocado.com British strawberries are having a standout moment, as new data shows that searches have risen by 82 per cent year-on-year, while sales are up 40 per cent, and searches for “strawberries and cream” are up 58 per cent. “The perfect combination of a cold winter, followed by one of the warmest and brightest springs on record, has brought us an abundance of great-tasting, British-grown strawberries,” says Ben l’Anson, senior fruit buyer for Ocado. “Strawberry season is also tracking about a week earlier than last year, thanks to the extra sunshine – resulting in some of our juiciest and sweetest early berries ever.”

How to eat them

British strawberries taste great straight from the box but there are plenty of ways to bring out their flavour, from a sprinkle of sugar to a crack of black pepper or a splash of balsamic vinegar. And who can forget the scene in Pretty Woman in which Richard Gere recommends Julia Roberts try a strawberry to bring out the flavour in her champagne? My favourite no-cook way to eat them is to macerate the berries, which means letting them sit in sugar or acid for a while to soften the flesh and draw the juices out, before serving with softly whipped or pouring cream, perhaps a soft-centred meringue, and some fresh mint or basil. Warming strawberries gently will bring the same macerating effect more quickly. If you have any to spare, make a no-churn ice cream using double cream and condensed milk. You’ll find some more divisive ideas on TikTok, such as a Polish dish of strawberry macaroni which is a sweet pasta dish where pasta is mixed with strawberry and cream sauce. It’s a surprisingly popular and delicious treat in Poland, often enjoyed as a summer snack. People online are also using strawberries as vessels for all kinds of toppings, from cream cheese to mustard, and calling it a “strawberry flight”. (Photo: Steven Paston/PA)

The taste test

Our taste test of British strawberries covers a range of berries, including organic and from supermarkets’ best and basic lines. We assessed four from each punnet for appearance, tasting two to three and rating appearance, juiciness and sweetness to give an overall score out of five. It goes without saying that a blind taste test remains subjective and everybody might choose individual favourites. My best advice? Time your purchase with sunny days, and the berries on the shelves will taste even sweeter. Even better, find a local pick-your-own farm to make the most of our short but sensational season.

Waitrose

Waitrose British Strawberries, £3 for 400g/two for £4/£7.50 per kilo. Appearance: Bright red, a uniform medium size and near-perfect heart-shaped strawberries. Juiciness: Wonderfully soft and juicy. Sweetness: Average. Overall: 3 (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty)

Sainsbury’s

Best overall flavour: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British Strawberries, £4 for 400g (£3 with Nectar)/£10 per kilo. Appearance: Good deep colour, plump large berries. Juiciness: Very good: juicy and succulent. Sweetness: Impressive. My favourite berry of the lot is in this bunch. Overall: 4 / Sainsbury’s British Strawberries, £2.20 for 250g (£1 with Nectar)/£8.80 per kilo. Appearance: Medium-sized to large and glossy, with a few imperfections. Juiciness: Good with a nice bite. Sweetness: Not especially sweet. Overall: 2.5 (Photo: Mike Kemp/In Pictures)

Marks & Spencer

M&S British Strawberries, £2.10 for 300g/£7 per kilo. Appearance: Quite a mix of sizes and colours, but good value for money. Juiciness: Could be better. Sweetness: Some mild sweetness. Overall: 3 (Photo: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters)

Aldi

Aldi Specially Selected Red Ruby Strawberries, £2.99 for 400g/£7.48 per kilo. Appearance: Mixed sizes and unmarked mid-red glossy skins. Juiciness: Medium. Sweetness: A decent sweetness with some (welcome) tartness in the smaller fruits. Overall: 3.5 / Aldi Nature’s Pick British Strawberries, £2.39 for 400g/£5.39 per kilo. Appearance: Wide mix of shapes and sizes. Juiciness: Average. Some of the bigger berries are a bit dry. Sweetness: Not much. Overall: 2.5. / Aldi Wonky Strawberries, £1.69 for 227g/£7.44 per kilo. Appearance: A little mottled but lovely, large heart shapes with pointed ends. Juiciness: Medium. Sweetness: Average levels of sweetness that last. Overall: 3. (Photo: Reuters/Phil Noble)

Ocado

Best luxury buy/overall favourite: Dyson Farming British Strawberries, £4 for 250g/£16 per kilo. Appearance: Gorgeous glossy skin with uniformly shaped medium and large berries. Juiciness: Impressive: tender and tasty. Sweetness: Good, a rounded, even sweetness throughout the tasting. Overall: 4 / Ocado British Strawberries, £3.70 for 600g. £6.17 per kilo. Appearance: A few pleasingly huge strawbs, though some damaged skin. Juiciness: Very good. Sweetness: Medium. Overall: 3.5 / Berryworld British Strawberries, £3.50 for 300g/£11.67 per kilo. Appearance: Mixed medium to large fruits with some dark and glossy and others less vibrant. Juiciness: Fair. Sweetness: Varied across the berries tested. Overall: 3. (Photo: Doug Peters/PA)

Lidl

Lidl Deluxe Strawberries, £2.99 for 400g/£7.48 per kilo. Appearance: Mix of sizes, some fairly wonky without bright skin. Juiciness: Medium. Sweetness: Medium but mixed. Overall: 3. (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty)

Tesco

Tesco Organic Strawberries, £2.50 for 300g/£8.33 per kilo. Appearance: Some imperfections on the skin but a lovely deep ruby colour and small to medium-sized berries. Juiciness: Pleasing. Sweetness: Not overly sweet. Some have a decent depth of flavour. Overall: 3.5. / Great value: Tesco British Strawberries, £2.50 for 400g/£6.25 per kilo. Appearance: Plump, round, medium fruits. Juiciness: Good. Sweetness: Some of the best. Overall: 4 (Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty)

Co-op

Co-op ‘Grown in Britain’ Strawberries, £2.65 for 227g/£11.67 per kilo. Appearance: A lovely glossy red, medium to large berries. Juiciness: Very good: soft and succulent. Sweetness: Impressive sweetness. Overall: 4 (All prices accurate at the time of first publication, May 2025) (Photo: Co-op/PA)