The budget supermarket has pledged "to bring sweeter British-grown blackberries to its shelves from this month when they start to go on sale across its stores nationwide".

Working in close collaboration with its suppliers, including Driscoll's, its principal blackberry supplier, Aldi revealed it is introducing "carefully selected varieties bred for a naturally sweeter, less tart taste". With heightened sweetness driving consumer demand, Aldi expects blackberry sales to soar by as much as 20% this season, having already shifted more than 228 tonnes last year – the equivalent of 1.5 million punnets.

The supermarket confirmed that all fresh blackberries stocked in its stores would be 100% British-grown, "giving shoppers greater access to homegrown fruit as the season gets underway this summer". It further noted that the berries are taste-tested throughout the season and harvested at peak ripeness to ensure a consistent flavour.

British blackberries will begin appearing in selected stores from the start of May, before a nationwide rollout on May 21, reports <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-aldi-announcement-confirms-change-37111114">the Mirror</a>.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: "We expect our blackberries to taste better than ever this season. By working closely with our British suppliers to improve sweetness and consistency, we're making sure customers can enjoy the very best of homegrown fruit and keep coming back for more."

James Crook, customer development director at Driscoll's, said: "Exceptional flavour is the result of years of dedicated natural breeding and selecting only the finest blackberry varieties. By working closely with Aldi, we are able to grow and harvest fruit at the optimal moment, delivering British blackberries that are naturally sweeter, more succulent, and consistently high quality throughout the season."

In a further boost for British farmers, Aldi recently announced its plans to increase the number of long-term agreements with UK produce and horticulture suppliers, committing to sourcing at least 50% of its domestic produce through long-term partnerships by the end of 2027.