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June Strawberries

Strawberry-picking and feasting is the order of the day

News 1968 2 mins Silent

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Logo for South West Film and Television Archive

Overview

Strawberry pickers spend June in the fields as the traditional month for strawberries in the UK. This makes the fruit a favourite of the Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon. The Strawberry Feast (Feaste) is held at the Methodist Church in Tamerton Foliot with the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Frank Chapman.

A strawberry is actually not a fruit but part of the rose family and a strawberry has its seeds on the outside. In 1714 a French engineer observed native strawberries in Chile and Peru, and brought some back to cultivate in France where they grew much bigger and juicier leading to the creation of today’s common or garden strawberry. The strawberry season is short in the UK from the end of May to late July. In order to protect the plants during these months, layers of straw are spread around the plant giving rise to the name, strawberry.