In 1994, I picked strawberries in Dorset for pocket money—tough but tasty work. Crawling down rows, I'd grab plump red berries and try not to eat too many. Paid by the punnet, I earned less than £1 an hour, unlike the speedy seasonal workers. Now, I've tested supermarket strawberries using a Brix refractometer for sweetness, but also considered flavor complexity and tartness. Look for bright red fruit with fresh green leaves and a strong aroma. This test was done before a late May heatwave, so berries now may be sweeter, but it still reflects variety and farm quality.
The Best Overall: Waitrose No.1 British Speciality Strawberries
£4 for 365g (£1.10/100g) ★★★★☆ Medium-sized, firm, orange-red Driscoll's Zara strawberries from Littywood Farm in Staffordshire. Dense, sweet (Brix 11), and complex—excellent value.
Best Bargain: Morrisons Strawberries
£2.50 for 350g (71p/100g) ★★★☆☆ Classic candy-red Malling Centenary from Kent. Simple, very sweet (Brix 10) with a tart finish.
And the Rest:
- M&S Collection British Red Diamond Strawberries (£3.50 for 400g at Ocado, ★★★★☆): Mixed dark-red berries with rich, sugary sweetness and complexity. Grown by Marion Regan at Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent. Brix 10.
- Exceptional by Asda British Strawberries (£2.97 for 350g, ★★★★☆): Medium to large Ania variety from New Forest Fruit in Hampshire. Floral, complex, sweet (Brix 10) with balanced sourness.
- Aldi Nature's Pick Strawberries (£1.59 for 227g, ★★★☆☆): Large, glossy, floral but subdued sweetness (Brix 6) with vegetal notes. No farm details.
- Lidl Deluxe British Strawberries (£2.99 for 400g, ★★★☆☆): Misshapen Blush variety with pale skins. Surprisingly sweet (Brix 8).
- Ocado Organic Strawberries (£3.50 for 227g, ★★★☆☆): Falco variety from Belgium—the only imported and organic tested. Tart, low sweetness (Brix 6).
- Co-op Irresistible Pick of the Crop British Sweet Pioneer Strawberries (£4 for 227g, ★★★☆☆): Lady Grace from Herefordshire. Floral, medium-sweet (Brix 7).
- Dyson Farming British Strawberries (£4.30 for 250g, ★★☆☆☆): Malling Centenary from a huge Lincolnshire glasshouse using robotics. Tart, medium-sweet (Brix 8).
- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference British Strawberries (£2.60 for 250g, ★☆☆☆☆): MC1A from Dyson Farming. Bland, vegetal, with the lowest Brix score of 5.