WHAT could be more English than strawberries and cream in the summer?

However, this year people looking forward to the traditional English fayre may have to wait a little longer this year.

That’s after a surprise return of winter and temperatures more akin to January than almost May.

And this has affected some of Hampshire’s strawberry farms.

But while the beginning of the strawberry season may have been frozen out experts say that mean that later in the year there is likely to be a glut of strawberries and prices could drop considerably.

And experts say as a result you’ll get more stawbs for for your money in a £2 punnet.

Vince Weller, harvesting manager from New Forest Fruit Company, in East Boldre in the New Forest said: “The frosts didn’t cause any damage to our strawberries as they are covered in polythene tunnels.

“However, they are likely to have a big impact on the production profits.

“We produce a significant tonnage of strawberries and the cold nights and frosts are slowing ripening down significantly.

“We are not as able to pick as many as we’d like and it will mean we will have more fruit ripening later which will put us under pressure.

“If the fruits are ripening slower nationally there will be much more ripening later and this will drive prices down then. There is no physical damage but it will mean a loss of income because prices will be lower.”

Dan Cully, farmer from Bourne Valley Pick Your Own, near Whitchurch, has similar problem: “We’re at least a fortnight behind.

“Everything is behind.

“Strawberries, raspberries are late and asparagus is just poking through.

“Blackcurrant bushes are only just coming out.

“We’ve had frosts that last three nights and that gives strawberries the ‘black eye’.

“It kills the flower and they don’t produce.

“They regenerate but nowhere near as much.

“We have some strawberries in tunnels and under fleece. They are earlier than the ones outside.”

He added that his strawberries normally are ready from the end of May to the beginning of June but this year they will be ready from mid-late June.