M&S marks Wimbledon with new strawberry variety
Best tasting variety in store for tennis finals
June 28 2003
Marks & Spencer will have a new variety of strawberry in stores in time for the finals of the Winbledon tennis championships.
The new and exclusive variety, the Jubilee, is aimed at the upmarket strawberries-and-cream customer looking to market the height of the tennis season is style. M&S claims the Jubilee tastes better than other commercially grown strawberry varieties.
The new strawberry was due to launch in mid-July, but as a result of exceptionally ideal growing weather in the UK, it will launch early in 20 stores in a tie-in with the tennis championships.
Emmett Lunny, Marks & Spencer’s strawberry expert, said: “It’s fantastic news that we’ve been able to serve up our new strawberry earlier than expected – it’s sure to be a champion’s choice for taste! Come rain or shine this fortnight – the ‘Jubilee’ is set to become a British favourite.
“This new variety has the ultimate in taste delivery. Many comments have been made over the last few years about strawberries lacking the ‘traditional’ taste we associate with the fruit.
“So, committed to bringing our customers the very best tasting soft fruit, we set about creating a new variety and after three years research, this culminated in the Jubilee so our customers can enjoy strawberries just the way they should taste!”
M&S has seen a run of seasonal English produce arriving in stores early this Summer, including runner beans and courgettes, as a result of the warmer than expected weather.
The retailer sells over two thousand tonnes of strawberries each summer – half a million kilos of which are sold during Wimbledon fortnight.
