The Irish strawberry season got off to a great start last week with the first berries from Sunglow Nurseries, which are now on the shelves of Aldi Ireland. Sunglow's berries are managed and marketed by Donnelly Fresh Produce.
"The first picking of the year was on the 18th of March, 10 days earlier than last year," said Paul Hussey, Senior Trading Manager at Donnelly Fresh Produce. "These are all from glasshouse production, the recent good weather gave the crop a nice boost."
© Donnelly Fresh Produce
Sunglow Nurseries, run by the McGuinness family, based in North County Dublin, specialise in early season fruit, with premium varieties, to be first on the market with the new season berries. After the initial glasshouse berries, they will move on to outdoor tunnel production, along with the glasshouse fruit.
"Demand for Irish strawberries is always exceptional, especially at this time of the year. They are better tasting and more sustainable than imported strawberries. It is early days, but this season's crop is looking fantastic already," said Paul.
© Donnelly Fresh Produce
"Sunglow Nurseries has been supplying Aldi for 17 years and will continue to do so into the future. This gives them the security to invest in new glasshouses, new packhouses, and modern offices. We have a great long-standing partnership between Aldi, Sunglow Nurseries and ourselves. Donnellys manages 95% of Sunglow's produce, all of which goes to Aldi."
For more information:
Paul Hussey
Donnelly Fresh
Tel.: +353 1 8908100
Email: paul.hussey@donnelly.ie
www.donnelly.ie