A berry merry Christmas for British grower

CONSUMERS are set to see fresh British-grown strawberries widely available this Christmas after a firm extended the season to 12 months with new technology.

- JOSIE CLARKE

The Summer Berry Company, a fruit producer based near Chichester, is now growing British strawberries at a commercial scale all year round with the help of LED technology through the colder months.

The investment reduces the site’s reliance on fossil fuels, with the system using a mix of renewable heat and power, LED lighting and energy storage to recreate spring conditions indoors.

The firm installed a combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the farm which burns gas to generate electricity, which in turn powers 2,600 LED units which create artificial sunlight, giving plants the impression that it is April, rather than December.

In the greenhouse, the LEDs hang above the rows of plants to aid photosynthesis during the darkest months, and fans in the LED units then blow heat produced by the lights down towards the crop, further reducing its energy use.