I tested 11 supermarket blueberries – M&S £2.65 pack tasted like boiled sweets

Each summer, Britain goes into a berry frenzy, as the (relatively) short and (hopefully) sweet season kicks in. And while strawberries might be the quintessential British summer fruit, the more unassuming blueberry certainly gives it a run for its money. “We are seeing more customers opting for blueberries as their summer fruit of choice,” says Waitrose’s health and nutrition lead, Joanne Lunne. Searches for “blueberry” on the supermarket’s website are up 36 per cent compared with last year, she says. At Ocado, it’s a similar story, where searches were up 21 per cent in June this year versus 2025, as well as for “frozen blueberries” (48 per cent). That has translated into sales, which are up 23 per cent this summer on last year. It helps that blueberries are seen as one of the healthiest fruits out there, packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fibre, making them a “great functional snacking option,” according to Lunne. In summer, when homegrown berries are at their plumpest and juiciest, they make a great addition to all sorts of dishes, from a breakfast bowl of yoghurt to a berry fruit salad – perhaps with a little fresh mint to bring out the flavours. They’re also lovely with pancakes, of course, whizzed into smoothies or, if you have a glut, cooked down into a compote. Shorts For Sam Hazlewood, senior fruit buyer at Ocado, “the perfect blueberry is plump, firm, and covered in that beautiful, dusty bloom, with a crisp bite and a subtle floral sweetness.” There should also be a slight tartness to balance the sweetness. “I eat them almost every morning with yoghurt,” Hazlewood continues. “It’s the ultimate way to start the day. It still feels like a total luxury.” Blueberries are available year-round (imported from countries such as Peru and Chile in winter). But they’re at their best in summer, when they’re largely homegrown. I decided to try each supermarket’s offering, focusing on their regular range, rather than premium or organic. I sampled them blind, eating several from each punnet (as there’s often a dud or two per pack), and drafted in my girlfriend, a big blueberry fan, for a second opinion. All 11 blueberries tested were British-grown, except where stated. Morrisons British blueberries £2.20 for 150g, Morrisons Plump-looking, rather chunky blueberries, that are sadly a touch pappy and mushy in texture. Rather sweet, with very little sourness to balance it out. 2.5/5 Lidl British blueberries £1.59, Lidl Smaller blueberries, with a nice crunch to them. There’s a decent tartness – they’re not too sweet – but they could probably do with a bit more powerful flavour, as they’re a little on the bland side. 3.5/5 Co-op blueberries £2.50 for 150g, Co-op A mix of sizes, some as small as wild blueberries, but some larger berries in there, too. The larger ones were on the mushy side and lacked flavour, while the smaller, crisper ones were better. A mixed bag. 3/5 Waitrose blueberries £2.20 for 150g, Waitrose The consistency was excellent – firm, but bursting into juiciness inside. Not too sweet and very tart – in a nice way, if you like the wincing effect of sherbet. Sweetness balances it out at the end; they taste like wild blueberries. 4.5/5 Tesco blueberries £2 for 150g, Tesco A nice texture; these are firm and juicy. The flavour was a little one-note, just sweetness with little acidity to balance it out. Nice but not outstanding. 3.5/5 Ocado blueberries £2.20 for 150g, Ocado Evenly sized blueberries with a plump, firm texture. They’re bursting with tart flavour and are delicious, but could have a tiny bit more sweetness to elevate them further. From Portugal. 4/5 Aldi blueberries £1.59 for 150g, Aldi Big berries – the biggest so far – but they were inconsistent. Some very hard, some squishy. There was little distinct blueberry flavour, they almost tasted like plums. Not unpleasant at all, just not great. 3/5 Berryworld blueberries £2.75 for 150g, Ocado Well-sized blueberries, neither too big or small, with a firm skin and decent, lemony acidity behind the sweetness. Some were unfortunately a little soft inside. 4/5 Sainsbury’s blueberries £2.20 for 150g, Sainsbury’s Small berries, and some were very mushy – one tasted like a soft, overly ripe satsuma. There’s not a huge amount of sweetness or sourness, just a bit bland. From Poland. 2/5 Marks & Spencer blueberries £2.65 for 150g, M&S Fat, juicy blueberries – one was the size of a grape – these taste very sweet, almost like boiled sweets, with only a hint of sourness at the end. That will go down well with the sweet-toothed, but a little more tartness would be welcome. 3.5/5 Wye Valley blueberries £2.25 for 125g, Ocado These have a proper bite to them, almost like firm grapes. Some taste neither sweet nor sour, but earthy and grassy. Not bad per se, but kids might not like them. 3/5