M&S overtook Tesco in first place in a new survey of British strawberry consumers, with Driscoll Elizabeth beating out scores of the Elsanta and Malling Centenary varieties.
The survey, exclusively revealed by FPJ, was conducted by the research firm Cambridge Market Research using blind taste tests of strawberries from 10 large retailers in the British retail sector.
106 consumers who regularly consume strawberries, selected from the North, Midlands and South of England, were asked to rate strawberries according to colour, freshness, condition, taste, sweetness, texture and purchase intention.
Participants were initially shown a whole basket of strawberries before being asked to choose one to taste. After tasting, the brand and price of each strawberry were revealed, at which point participants were asked to score the value for money, correspondence with brand expectations and purchase intention.
All strawberries were served plain and the test took place between 21 and 22 June 2016, coinciding with the height of the British season and the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Tesco ranked second behind the premium retailer M&S, as after choosing based on taste, freshness and texture, consumers chose based on value for money. According to the survey, the premium price of the M&S product was too high for some consumers, while Tesco was considered much cheaper.
Co-op 's Elsanta strawberries also received an excellent rating, beating the same variety on sale at Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. Consumers were somewhat disappointed at Asda and Lidl, where the berries were described as 'overripe', 'mushy', with a 'soft' texture and a 'watery' taste.
The first impression was crucial: freshness, state of preservation and general appearance were the key factors determining purchase intention before tasting. If bruises or imperfections were evident, retailers were penalised and participants were less likely to buy. A bright, vivid colour was the key to a winning strawberry, with the highest scores being described as 'brightly coloured'. A pale or dull colour was an indication of an under-ripe strawberry.
Taste was the deciding factor. The variety played an important role: the Driscoll variety Elizabeth was the real winner, with a sweet and tasty berry. The popular variety Elsanta received rather average evaluations, while Malling's Centenaria received different results among the retailers.
The results(editor's note: the pictures do not refer to the tested samples):
M&S SUNBLISS ENGLISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £ 2.00 per 300 g - Variety: Driscoll Elizabeth
The Elizabeth Driscolls were praised for their sweetness and juiciness as well as their excellent taste. Not surprisingly, the overall taste was rated significantly higher than all other retailers, with the only exception of Tesco. Purchase intention was also high, and the price of £2.00 proved competitive.
- Rating: 'Sweet, juicy and tasty'. "Really good flavour, juicy". 'Very tasty and sweet. Fresh aroma. Fresh taste'.
- Negative aspects: 'Too varied in size'. 'A bit too big and not very pleasant looking'.
TESCO ENGLISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £2.00 per 400g - Variety: Malling Centenary, Kent.
With an overall score of only 1 point behind M&S, the Tesco English strawberries were considered the best for appearance, freshness, texture and value for money. The bright colour was appreciated and these strawberries have a sweet taste and good texture. With an extra 100 grams at a price of £2, the value for money was rated very highly and resulted in a strong purchase intention.
Likes: 'Excellent strawberry flavour, pleasant and sweet. Good sized strawberries'. "Colour, fresh appearance, sweetness". 'Pleasant taste, pleasant appearance, fresh and huge fruit, juicy and sweet'.
Negative aspects: 'A bit too big'. 'Not sweet enough'.
WAITROSE ENGLISH STRAWBERRIES BASE
Price: £ 2.00 per 400 g - Variety: Sweet Eve
The sweet aroma of these Sweet Eve strawberries created high expectations and most consumers were not disappointed. Full of flavour, but not overly sweet, these strawberries were associated as 'premium' and 'good quality'. However, for a handful of consumers they were a little under-ripe and too pale in colour. Nevertheless, after tasting, consumers were enthusiastic about the purchase and more than two thirds stated that they would probably or definitely buy them.
Pros: 'Wonderful aroma and fantastic taste' 'Slight crunchiness compared to others "Firm and juicy. Quite sweet'.
Disliked: 'Too crunchy and sour'. 'Not sweet enough and not particularly tasty'.
CO-OP 'LOVED BY US' SCOTTISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £ 2.00 per 400 g - Variety: Elsanta, Scotland
Bright and vibrant in colour, with a good sheen, these strawberries looked fresh and smelled fantastic, despite being a little too small. The variety under review, Elsanta, was described as 'sweet' and 'perfectly ripe'. Unlike the other Elsanta strawberries from Asda and Morrisons, these strawberries of Scottish origin were firm but juicy, making for delicious eating. With excellent value for money, half of the respondents said these strawberries were better than they expected from Co-op.
Likes: 'Beautiful colour'. 'Delicious scent'. 'Big, juicy and very fresh'. 'Bright and shiny'. 'Intense and good flavour and texture'. 'Size is popping in the mouth'.
Disliked: 'Tastes earthy'. "Variety in size'.
ALDI NATURE'S FRUIT ENGLISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £1.29 per 400g - Variety: Christine
Typical of an early season variety, Aldi's Christine strawberries are really good in terms of overall taste. They are considered much sweeter and tastier than the Malling Centenary variety available at rival discounter Lidl. These strawberries also have a firmer texture, making them less susceptible to bruising and staining, and give good marks for overall freshness. Good value for money, but not as tasty or quality as the winners M&S, Tesco and Waitrose. However, more than a third said they would consider buying weekly.
Likes: 'Very juicy and sweet. Most flavourful and refreshing. Perfect texture" "Juicy and delicious" "Great size, nice and big, delicious flavour. Slightly too soft'.
Dislikes: 'mushy, sour, dirty and flawed' 'Too many big seeds. A bit out of place'.
SAINSBURY'S ENGLISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £2.00 per 400g - Variety: Elsanta
Visually, these Sainsbury's strawberries were very attractive, receiving high scores for size, colour, condition and overall appearance. However, the tasting was disappointing: the scores for taste and texture fell around average. Compared to the other Elsanta varieties from Morrisons and Co-op, they were rated on par for freshness and flavour, but overall they were not sweet enough and tasted somewhat sour. They were significantly less likely to be described as good quality than Tesco, M&S and Waitrose; only 2 out of 5 stated an intention to buy them.
Likes: 'They are of good size, very red and fresh looking'. 'Very sweet, ripe and juicy'. 'Good flavour, crisp texture and not too mushy'. 'Sweet and earthy flavour'.
Negative aspects: 'I would have liked them to have a stronger aroma. 'Very bitter, they would need a lot of sugar'. 'A bit bland in taste, so disappointing'. 'They were sour and tasteless'.
MORRISONS BRITISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £1.00 per 270 g - Variety: Elsanta
These Elsanta strawberries were slightly dull and pale in colour and somewhat less uniform in size. Ranked 6th out of 10 for overall opinion, these Morrisons strawberries were rated on par with those of Sainsbury's and significantly better than those of Asda, Lidl and Iceland, with a sweeter and less watery flavour. Slightly less than half were positively impressed with the quality of the offer, stating that the product was better than they expected from Morrisons.
Likes: 'Very sweet, delicious flavour'. 'Sweet, ripe and smooth'. 'Sweet and fruity'. 'Juicy and refreshing'.
Disliked: 'A bit edgy'. "Pale and bland". "Too varied in size, one or two big ones but the rest are really small". "
LIDL OAKLANDS BRITISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £1.99 per 400g - Variety: Malling Centenary, Cambridgeshire
Despite being the same variety as Tesco (Malling Centenary, grown in Kent), these Cambridgeshire-grown strawberries did not impress, placing 8th out of 10 for overall impression. Unlike the M. Centenary offered by Tesco, Lidl's strawberries were considered too large in size and not as sweet tasting. Less than half rated the freshness of these berries as good/excellent and consumers did not like the 'mushy' texture. Many were disappointed with Lidl on this occasion: 55% stated that the berries were worse than they expected from this retailer.
Likes: 'Succulent and juicy. "Rich colour and good size". "Good uniform size" "Succulent, fresh, sweet".
Negative aspects: 'Sour and mushy. Some are stained'. "Too sour. Some are not ripe enough, even though they looked ripe' 'The green is not fresh and the taste is not very sweet'. "Too sour".
ASDA GROWER'S SELECTION ENGLISH STRAWBERRIES
Price: £1.50 per 400 g - Variety: Elsanta
Dark-coloured and speckled, these strawberries did not impress visually: 2 out of 5 rated the state of preservation as poor. Despite offering consumers a lower price than competing retailers, these strawberries were overripe, with a 'soft' and 'mushy' texture that made them unpleasant to eat. The taste was also not up to scratch, with many commenting on the lack of flavour and watery taste. Most consumers were not impressed by these strawberries and only one in five said they would buy them after the test.
Likes: 'The petiole is nice and big to hold'. "The quantity in the basket". 'Good size, very juicy'. 'Juicy, good aroma, good size and nice dark red colour'.
Negative aspects: 'The size is too varied. The taste is too mushy and sloppy' 'The texture is too soft and squashed' 'Insipid, soft and rather bland' 'Rather sour and watery' 'They do not taste sweet and are boring'.
FARMERS' MARKET STRAWBERRIES ICELAND
Price: £ 2.00 per 600 g - Variety: n/a
Visually, these strawberries were more attractive than the other low-scoring products, Asda and Morrisons. While the attractive colour attracted attention, the variation in berry size put some people off. Like the other low-scoring products, these strawberries had a soft and watery texture, with a bland and sometimes bitter taste. For 3 out of 5, they were simply not 'sweet enough'. The poor quality on offer resulted in a low score for value for money, despite the 50% Extra Free offer, and after the trial, 63% said they would not buy.
Likes: 'Not too sweet "Great variety of sizes, good appearance, good colour". 'They look fresh and inviting'. 'Generous size, fresh taste'.
Negative aspects: 'Disappointing taste'. 'Could be slightly sweeter'. 'Watery, bitter and mushy.
Source:Fruitnet
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