First British-bred blueberry title claimed… then swiftly lost

Telegraph

3 days ago

Few things stir the spirit like a national first – so when the James Hatton Institute, in Invergowrie, declared this summer that it had produced the UK's first home-bred blueberry, heads were turned.
However, no sooner had the institute made the announcement than it discovered that someone had beaten it.
It was then forced to relinquish the title of a British first in favour of proclaiming the first Scottish-bred blueberry.
The institute had proudly unveiled Highland Charm, a blueberry variety bred on Scottish soil, produced after a decade of research, cross-breedings and a large amount of patience.
But instead of relishing in the sweet taste of triumph, the institute had to content with a bitter reality.
Highland Charm would fall short of claiming the crown of first UK-bred blueberry, as that accolade had been collected by another pioneer whose identity remains a mystery.
The institute issued a correction after being contacted by the people behind the true first British-bred variety, and clarified that it instead had the first blueberry of Scottish heritage.
But sources in the berry industry robustly denied that any other berry breeding programmes existed nationwide.
Instead, they suggested that the name confusion could have been prompted by the Scottish Government, which reportedly funded the breeding programme, and therefore asserted Scotland's claim on the produce.
The Scottish Government denied these accusations, with a spokesman advising that 'it was changed because someone else approached them claiming to have created the UKs first bred blueberry before them'.
Waitrose boasted of British blueberries in 2020 but fell short of claiming they were bred here saying instead that they were organically grown.
But for institute staff who have spent over 10 years working on Highland Charm, one honest mistake will not get in the way of their celebrations.
Susan McCallum, the organisation's resident blueberry breeder, said: 'It combines high yields, excellent fruit size, outstanding flavour, with a balanced sugar-acid profile and a satisfying bite. Growers are really excited about it.'
Nick Marston, of British Berry Growers, welcomed the news of a new home-bred strain, saying: 'The potential advantage that breeding in the UK offers is that new varieties will be selected and trialled in the UK climate at an early stage in their development which means they may be better suited to our climatic conditions.'
The long process of berry breeding means that growers can brand it a 'Scottish Berry', suited to the weather and native.
At present, growers must rely on foreign varieties, and whilst they can be grown in the UK they cannot truly call themselves a native-bred fruit.
Tesco reported last year that consumers enjoy more than 60,000 tonnes of blueberries per year, with almost 90 per cent imported from abroad – largely the Americas – a number of weeks after they were harvested.
Researchers at Invergowrie wanted to change that with Highland Charm, a resilient and high-yielding seed that has delivered in testing across different seasons and growing conditions both home and abroad.
Now it is undergoing a licencing process to allow it to qualify as a new cultivar, meaning Highland Charm could be on supermarket shelves in the next two to three years.
Ms McCallum hopes its success will encourage consumers to buy locally produced, in-season produce, and promised: 'They're fresher and have higher health benefits than imported berries that take six weeks to get from field to shelves. You'll taste the difference.'