2018

Lychee are one of few fruits that are utterly irresistible when in peak condition. In UK supermarkets, lychee are currently being sold from Mexico, and they are a wonderful treat. The flavour and succulence of the fruit is hard to beat, and there is never enough in the pack. Lychee should be available in most

Excellent quality raspberries are now plentiful from Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with the UK season just getting underway. There are many varieties available, with quite a number being more recent, sweeter, firmer fruit with better shelf-life. Examples are: Driscoll Maravilla, Berry Gem, Berry Jewel, Diamond Jubilee, etc. These are lovely, but some have lost the

Extraordinary Ordinary: not often celebrated, the Golden Delicious apple is more often the butt of a joke than a compliment. Though try a South African version and chances are you will be surprised. Due to the specific growing conditions in South Africa, the variety is usually very sweet compared to the French or Italian equivalent

Mango World Cup Costa Rica Keitt vs. India Kesar – 2:3 Both very pleasing, with Kesar winning on flavour! Indian Kesar are still available in Morrisons, Tesco and Asda, and at independent Asian grocery stores, by the box. Also now available in the independent stores are the wonderfully sweet Sindhri mangoes from Pakistan, which will

Treats: Watching a tense thriller on telly isn’t the time to eschew a good treat. What about a fruity treat to top-up your 5-a-day? There is plenty of choice at the moment! Lychee: The Mexican lychee season has started: fantastic for flavour, and irresistible – buy double! Strawberries: UK strawberries are just delicious at the

Pakistan defeated by an innings and 55 runs! Clearly, these boys have not been eating enough mango, but as luck would have it, the Pakistani mango season is now well underway. Boxes of the deliciously sweet Sindhri are on sale at independent Asian groceries and, as stocks of Indian Kesar dwindle, will shortly be in some

UK strawberries are in great shape at the moment. All varieties are delivering some sweetness, with Eve’s Delight, Sweet Eve and Murano being the latest varieties in many stores. Quality is good, time from harvest to supermarket shelf at a minimum and the sun is shining (in most places!). Pay a bit extra for premium

Grapes are a real mixture at the moment as retailers wait for the Mediterranean season to get properly underway. Quality is mixed as much of the offer is tail-end of season from South America and India. On the whole, the actual berries should be fine, but often the stems are dried and there is a