Dutch marketer The Greenery has announced the delivery of the season's first Dutch gooseberries, a product unique to the country and the only fruit of its kind to be grown under glass.

The Xenia variety, which has been grown by The Greenery member Ad Boden, based in Achtmaal, is distinctive for its deep, dark red colour and sour taste, as well as for the fact that they can be eaten whole straight from the punnet.

"The gooseberries are delicious eaten straight from the hand as a healthy snack and are perfect for a summer salad," said The Greenery's soft fruit manager Marcel Lith.

The berries, which are also available from open-field production from June onwards, are being sold in consignments of 12 x 150g standard punnets or eight 125g punnets with lids.

According to Mr Lith, other packaging formats for the gooseberries are available on request.

Mike Knowles, Eurofruit Magazine