Sweet and Tart, all in one.
Sweet, tart and tangy, cherries come in a vibrant range of flavours and colours. An essential British fruit, cherries produce a strong harvest in the UK between mid-June and early September. They thrive in the UK climate, requiring a prolonged cold period during winter to prepare the trees for a successful bloom and fruiting season in the warm summer months. Through generations of cultivation, knowledge and careful farming, the UK now produces around 8,000 tonnes of cherries annually.
Two main types of cherries are grown across the UK, Europe and Western Asia: sweet and sour varieties, which typically do not cross-pollinate. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) are the varieties most eaten fresh. Popular cultivars include Stella, Regina, Merton Glory, Nabella, Celeste and Sweetheart, prized for their juicy flesh and balanced sweetness. In contrast, sour cherries (Prunus cerasus), such as Morello and Montmorency, are more commonly used in both sweet and savoury creations, where their sharper, more acidic profile can either be highlighted or balanced with sugar and other ingredients.
As a stone fruit, cherries deliver a flavour profile that combines sweetness, juiciness and refreshing tartness. This distinctive taste has brought nostalgic comfort to classic desserts such as Bakewell tart and Black Forest gâteau, while confectionery favourites like cherry cola bottles are currently seeing a resurgence in drinks and dessert innovations.
However, cherry is far from limited to sweet applications. Savoury dishes such as cherry gazpacho with sherry vinegar are appearing on modern menus, while cherry jam paired with duck highlights the fruit’s ability to balance rich meats. Two emerging pairings seen across the market include smoked cherry, often used in BBQ sauces or glazes, and pickled cherries, which work particularly well with cheeses such as halloumi.
For sweeter applications, cherries continue to perform strongly in on-the-go beverages, with brands launching combinations such as cherry coconut drinks, while cherry vanilla iced matcha is beginning to appear as a new café-style flavour pairing.
One cherry flavour wouldn’t be enough. Instead, we wanted to capture the full spectrum of cherry profiles, from sweet confectionery-style notes to the sharper, more sour Morello varieties.
One cherry flavour wouldn’t be enough. Instead, we wanted to capture the full spectrum of cherry profiles, from sweet confectionery-style notes to the sharper, more sour Morello varieties.
Scale up your sandwich biscuit for an extra-luxurious combination of crunch and sweetness. The biscuit is flavoured with lemon, complementing the rich buttery notes with a bright, zesty lift. The star of the show is a cherry-flavoured white chocolate ganache, bringing sweet, fruity notes that pair beautifully with the creamy richness of the chocolate.
