Strawberries saved for winter thanks to pioneering British invention

Heat extracted from these depths maintains the growing environment at a constant 17C, creating conditions that enable year-round strawberry production.

Plants installed in August will begin yielding fruit within weeks, according to Kristian Lukasik, a technical resource manager at the university's Institute of Agri-Food Technology.

The installation enables continuous harvesting throughout the winter months, delivering fresh berries during a season when British consumers typically rely on imports.

Lukasik explained the plants' perception of seasonal conditions, saying: "We planted them in August, but they probably think it's April or May."

The research facility marks a significant development for British horticulture, demonstrating an alternative heating method for protected crop cultivation.

Simon Pearson, founding director of the institute, reports geothermal heating delivers cost savings of approximately one-third compared with natural gas, which remains the standard heating method for commercial greenhouses.

A greenhouse has become the first in Britain to cultivate strawberries using warmth drawn from underground rock formations

PA

This economic advantage has prompted speculation about a potential transformation of the sector.

The horticultural industry has faced severe financial pressure since energy costs surged following Russia's military action in Ukraine.

Pearson believes the demonstrated viability of geothermal technology might trigger a renewed era of greenhouse expansion across Britain.

Geothermal resources exist not only in volcanic regions like Iceland but are available throughout substantial areas of Lincolnshire, Scotland and particularly Cornwall, Pearson noted.

"There's no reason we can't do this in the UK [but] people aren't going to invest millions of pounds until they can see the technology works," he stated.

Britain's domestic fruit production accounts for merely 16 per cent of national consumption, whilst vegetables fare slightly better at 53 per cent.

Spanish and Moroccan growers dominate the supply of salad crops, including tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, to British supermarkets.

Recent weather extremes in these Mediterranean and North African supplier nations have exposed vulnerabilities in UK food supply chains.

Heatwaves affecting Spain during the summer months resulted in cucumber shortages on British supermarket shelves.

Such climatic disruptions are expected to intensify as global temperatures rise, presenting what Pearson characterises as a food security opportunity for domestic production.

British tomato cultivation has declined dramatically from 50 per cent of consumption to just 20 per cent in recent years.

"That's ridiculous. We can grow that food in the UK and create jobs," Pearson said.

The capacity to expand indoor cultivation could address import dependency whilst generating employment opportunities in the horticultural sector.

The university's facility expects to produce half a tonne of strawberries, which will be distributed to local food banks and the campus canteen.

Lukasik maintains these berries will offer superior flavour compared with winter imports from Egypt and Jordan, which endure lengthy transportation periods.

"The best taste you can get is over the first three to four days," he said. "After that, the strawberry may look good but the taste is not there. Growing locally, we can have the freshest fruit."

Following the strawberry harvest, the team plans to cultivate tomatoes before experimenting with peppers, cucumbers and flowers. Pearson envisions further heat sources beyond geothermal energy, specifically waste heat from data centres.

"A 50MW data centre could produce enough waste heat for a 50-hectare glasshouse on the side of it," he said. "If it goes well, and geothermal comes along and the data centres go in, we could be in a new age for glasshouse expansion in the UK. I'm super-excited about it."