Blueberry facts Different blueberry varieties are found all over the world, but the culinary blueberries we eat today owe their origins to several North American species.
Wild blueberries provided an important food crop for the Native American tribes that the earliest European colonisers came across in the early 1600s, and it wasn’t long before the settlers began using blueberries themselves.
Growing British blueberries are available from June till September and the start of the season usually features the Duke variety. To guarantee local fruit can be supplied in late September and possibly into October, growers have planted special varieties for full flavour and a greater shelf life. Bred in the USA, these include Bluecrop Chandler, Darrow, Draper, Liberty, Ozark Blue and Auror, all known for their sweetness that will appeal to British shoppers.
In the British winter, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and Spain are all important producers that supply the UK.
