"Blackberries remain the smallest berry category, but they're growing rapidly in most European markets. For years, blackberry quality was inconsistent, and they had a poor reputation, flavor profile-wise. In a sense, blackberries were considered the underdog of the berry category," says Driscoll's, which is active worldwide in growing and marketing soft fruits, including blackberries.
Driscoll's found that hard to accept and, thus, set up a development program. "We wanted to find flavorful blackberries. It took years of tests and trials before we finally made a breakthrough with the development of the Victoria variety for the European market."
New generation of sweet blackberries
The company indicates that this new generation of blackberries is gradually winning over both its clients and consumers. "You can use them for more than just a garnish; they're also perfect as a snack, and people love how sweet they taste," explains Driscoll's. And sweet blackberries made a difference in the United States, too, they add. "That market received the Sweetest Batch Blackberry concept, a program of exceptionally sweet blackberries sold under the Sweetest Batch label, exceptionally well."
These developments make the berry company optimistic about further developments in the blackberry category. "We believe this is just the beginning. Our R&D program continues to deliver improved, sweeter blackberries that keep raising the bar regarding the flavor experience. As such, varieties like our VictoriaTM and our promising new variety, ClaraTM, are leading the way. They've even won international flavor awards, a testament to their great flavor profile," Driscoll's proclaims.
Raspberry growth as indicator
The company compares blackberry market developments to that of raspberries. "When we consider the potential, we believe we're far from reaching it fully. Just look at the recent growth of the raspberry category; that's a good indication of blackberries' future growth potential. Especially now that we're expanding the year-round availability of these delicious berries."
Driscoll's sees a role for retailers, too, in convincing the public of the new generation of blackberries. "The biggest opportunity is to get more cosumers to taste these sweeter blackberries because tasting is believing. Sour blackberries' days are numbered," they conclude.
Driscoll's
www.driscolls.com