Berries’ rising stars? How quality can bring blackberries back

Blackberries have long faced an uphill battle in the fresh fruit market. While strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries conquered European shelves through consistent sweetness and attractive appearance, blackberries remained a fruit of hesitation—admired for their color and nutritional value yet avoided by many consumers after disappointing experiences.

The roots of this hesitation lie in decades of uneven quality, both in genetics and in post-harvest management.

The taste trap: sour, seedy, and unpredictable

For much of the 1990s and 2000s, most commercial blackberries in Europe came from varieties bred primarily for yield and disease resistance rather than flavor.

Consumers frequently encountered fruit that looked pristine but tasted acidic or lacked aroma; prominent, woody seeds amplified the perception of harshness, however wild.

Inconsistent sweetness eroded trust: after one or two poor experiences, many buyers simply stopped purchasing. Even as better genetics emerged, the memory of sour fruit on their palate memory, suppressing trial and repeat purchase.

  Image 1. Black Sultana (Source: Planasa)  

Post-harvest fragility: quality lost before the shelf

A thin cuticle and high respiration rate make them particularly sensitive to handling and temperature. Minor bruising during harvest or breaks in the cold chain can lead to leakage, fungal growth, or red drupelet reversions of the berry turning red and soft after cooling.

To consumers, this often means a punnet losing appeal within 48 hours. Retail waste rises, quality complaints increase, and shelf space contracts.

Compared with more resilient blueberries or strawberries, blackberries historically struggled to travel far or remain reliable once they arrived.

  Image 2. Von  

Seasonality and availability: the broken rhythm

For years, fresh blackberries appeared on European shelves only for a few summer weeks. Outside that narrow window, imported fruit—often air-shipped—arrived with variable quality and high cost. Such irregular presence prevented habit formation.

Shoppers build loyalty through repetition: a weekly ritual of berries in the basket. Without continuity, blackberries became seasonal curiosities rather than everyday fruits.

Only the rise of primocane selections and off-season production in southern Europe has begun to restore the rhythm consumers expect.

Price and perceived value

Across the category’s development, blackberries often carried a higher price per gram than other fruits, reflecting lower yields and post-harvest losses.

When eating quality failed to match that premium, the cost–benefit calculation turned negative. In consumer psychology, a mismatch between price and pleasure depresses repeat purchase and can tarnish perceptions of the entire category, not just a single lot or origin.

The psychology of expectation

Berries promise pleasure with health—sweetness, aroma, and freshness wrapped in antioxidants. When blackberries failed to provide that balance, the emotional connection broke.

The dark colour, while elegant, sometimes suggested bitterness; in the absence of consistent flavour, the fruit struggled to satisfy the idea of “healthy treat” that drives modern berry consumption.

Perception then became self-reinforcing: once labelled unpredictable, blackberries were approached with caution, or not at all.

Rebuilding trust

Breeding now targets what consumers taste first: sweetness, aroma, and texture. Modern cultivars such as Victoria, Clara, Black Sultana, and Von combine higher Brix levels, smaller seeds, firmer texture, and better post-harvest performance.

Yet market recovery depends on repetition. Trust returns only when flavor is reliable week after week and season after season.

Retailers are responding with tasting campaigns, tighter temperature control, and right-sized packs that reduce household waste.

As the blueberry playbook demonstrated, consistency builds confidence—and confidence drives consumption.

  Image 3. Loch Katrine  

  Image 4. Čačanska Bestrna (CacakT)  

Reflexion

The trajectory of the blackberry is ultimately a story of alignment. When genetics, agronomy, and logistics converge on flavor and reliability, perception shifts from caution to appetite.

Europe now has pieces to deliver sweeter cultivars, steadier calendars, and better cold-chain discipline.

The final step is behavioral—multiplying flawless eating experiences until the category’s reputation resets.

Do that, and blackberries graduate from occasional curiosity to dependable pleasure—an equal alongside strawberries and blueberries in Europe’s fruit basket.

Sources: 

• Clock House Farm. (n.d.). Blackberries. Clock House Farm. https://clockhousefarm.co.uk/blackberries/ 

• International Taste Institute. (2025). Awarded products: Clara™ (Driscoll’s). International Taste Institute. https://www.taste-institute.com/en/awarded-products/product-details/7158893925 

• Italian Berry. (n.d.). Two new blackberry varieties complete a year-round calendar of Plus Berries. Italian Berry. https://italianberry.it/en/news/Two-new-blackberry-varieties-complete-year-round-calendar-Plus-Berries 

• Planasa. (n.d.). BlackSultana® (Plablack 15157). Planasa. https://planasa.com/variety/blackberry-blacksultana/ 

• Global Plant Genetics. (2025, January). Von (Rubus): Leading-edge blackberry that delivers superlative [PDF]. Global Plant Genetics. https://www.globalplantgenetics.org/media/pages/crops/483101c804-1737637425/von-jan2025-compressed.pdf 

• Fresh Fruit Portal. (2025, January 28). Hortifrut Genetics launches gemstone-inspired brand strategy at Fruit Logistica. Fresh Fruit Portal. https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2025/01/28/hortifrut-genetics-launches-gemstone-inspired-brand-strategy-at-fruit-logistica/ 

• Hortifrut. (n.d.). Genetic development. Hortifrut. https://www.hortifrut.com/innovation/genetic-development/ 

• James Hutton Institute. (n.d.). Blackberry breeding. James Hutton Institute. https://www.hutton.ac.uk/scientific-services/improving-crop-production/breeding/blackberry-breeding/ 

• Institut za voćarstvo Čačak. (n.d.). Čačanska Bestrna (Cacak Thornless). Fruit Research Institute Čačak. https://www.institut-cacak.org/eng/cacanska-bestrna.php 

• INIAV. (2023). Melhoramento genético em amora (pp. 54–59). HortoFruticultura. https://www.iniav.pt/images/publicacoes/2023/Melhoramento_genetico_em_amora_54-59.pdf 

Jorge Duarte
Hortitool Consulting 

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