British blueberry growers are increasing their use of artificial intelligence, drones and precision growing technology as demand for larger and more flavourful fruit rises.

British Berry Growers, which represents 95 per cent of the country’s soft fruit growers, said sales of British blueberries were 73 per cent higher in week 27 than during the equivalent week last year.

Year-to-date sales are up 27 per cent, while the volume of UK-grown blueberries has increased by 40 per cent over the past five years.

“Blueberries have quietly become one of Britain’s smartest crops,” British Berry Growers chair Nick Marston said.

“Behind every punnet is an extraordinary amount of innovation, from precision breeding and drone technology to optical grading systems that photograph every berry before it reaches consumers.”

Marston said growers were responding to the “premiumisation” of the category by investing in higher-yielding varieties that deliver improved flavour, size and volume.

At UK blueberry grower WB Chambers, berries are picked by hand before passing through high-speed optical grading lines. Each berry is photographed several times in a fraction of a second, with AI used to assess its colour, size, shape and quality before packing.

The business has also placed its entire blueberry crop under polytunnels. Drones are used to apply a protective whitewash coating to the tunnels during periods of hot weather, helping to reduce temperatures and maintain fruit quality.

Blueberry plants require around 30 per cent more heat and light than strawberries before producing fruit, according to the grower.

“Technology plays a huge role in helping us grow the very best of British blueberries,” WB Chambers head of business development George Beedell said.

“Polytunnels allow us to carefully manage the growing environment, protecting the crop from colder weather in spring so we can start the British season earlier, while also extending it later into the year.

“We then use drones to apply protective coatings to the tunnels during periods of hot weather, helping keep temperatures down and maintain fruit quality.”

The combination of cool nights and warm days during the growing season is expected to produce a particularly sweet and flavoursome British crop in 2026.

Beedell added: “Everything is coming together for a great British blueberry season.

“We’ve had a slow, steady spring, with cool nights and warmer days through May, which is exactly the kind of weather that builds sugar and flavour in the fruit. We’re expecting excellent size and a lovely quality this year.”

British-grown blueberries are now available from major supermarkets across the UK.

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