Driscoll's will launch its Sweetest Batch premium berry range in select retailers across Germany and the Middle East in 2025.

The high-end offering will initially be available in blueberries and blackberries. Only a selection of its varieties will reach this level, as it promises to offer the best consumer experience.

The supplier revealed that the UK market will follow suit, but for now the focus will be on launching the core Driscoll's brand in the region.

Driscoll's only introduced its brand to UK consumers in 2024, launching branded paper packs in Morrisons, Whole Foods Market, Booths and independent grocery stores.

The Sweetest Batch range first launched in the US, where Driscoll's is based, in 2019. And the company says it has "had a significant impact".

The Australian market followed in 2022, with Driscoll's selling Tasmanian-grown strawberries of its Zara variety from December to March.

As the name suggests, Sweetest Batch only includes Driscoll's highest Brix varieties (from a select group of growers), but it doesn't name those varieties on the package.

The company says its new premium segment is “dedicated to delivering an exceptionally sweet taste experience” and features only “proprietary varieties, specifically selected for their extra-sweet profile.”

Driscoll's adds that its select Sweetest Batch growers follow “meticulous” harvesting practices, “ensuring that each berry reaches peak sweetness.”

In addition, the selected varieties offer “plenty of juiciness” and a well-balanced sweetness/acidity.

In general, there is less stratification in European soft fruit markets than in the UK, but Driscoll's sees opportunities in this area.

Jana Lehmann, Product Manager and so-called “Berryista”, told Fruitnet: “The UK market is used to tier grading, whereas this is not yet the case in Germany. However, there is a strong demand for premium berries in Germany and other European markets.

“Berries are already a part of the daily diet, so we believe it is time to add new flavors to the category. Flavor has always been at the core of Driscoll's strategy, so we are very excited to launch this program.”

She added that the concept is “ready to sell,” but the rollout will be staggered as each Sweetest Batch berry “must deliver exceptional sweetness, as promised.”

“We see a lot of enthusiasm among our customer base. We are now planning sales programmes with selected customers, mainly in Germany, but also in the Middle East and I think in the future also in the UK, so it is really exciting.”

“We will only include berries in the sweetest batch if we are 100 per cent sure they are good enough, so sometimes we may not be able to deliver the fruit. But it is really important that the quality is carefully controlled to ensure that every berry lives up to our promise of being the sweetest of sweets.

“Our selected growers will submit berry samples for Driscoll's to monitor for quality, and if they are sweet and flavorful enough, they will become part of the Driscoll's Sweetest Batch concept.”