Welcome to strawberry season

Now’s the time to savour this year’s arrival of the first crop of delicious British strawberries. Too often we’re presented with flavourless imported fruits, the very epitome of evil food miles, so now is the time to get stuck in.

Traditionally, these beloved fruits were only around for a matter of weeks, but with new varieties and polytunnels, the British strawberry season is stretching further and further. They are the quintessential fruit of British spring and summer – lavish heart-shaped juicy berries paired with lashings of soft cream, champagne, chocolate, Wimbledon – anything!

Purists say there is a strong argument for doing nothing more difficult or complicated with strawberries than eating them with plenty of cream, and nothing beats a simple strawberry tart or an indulgent pavlova heaped high with the little darlings. Or a grind of black pepper with balsamic vinegar? We love ours with a glass of champagne, pure and simple. Go on, this is a one indulgence which is healthy and sums up the best of British summertime – enjoy!