Edward Vinson's Strawberry Breeding Programme was established in 1986 with the intention of producing improved Everbearer varieties for the Northern European market.
The programme currently plants 36,000 seedlings per annum, divided between Northern European everbearers and Junebearers and Southern European short day varieties.
Early releases
- Evita released 1993
- Evie 2 released in 2001
- Everest and Everglade released in 1998
- Evie 3 released in 2003
- Challenger released in 2000
Recent releases
- Sweet Eve and Eve's Delight released in 2008 giving certain exclusive rights to BerryWorld growers in the UK and VB BV growers in Holland and Belgium
- Velvet released in 2009
- Viva Patricia first release from the Mediterranean programme. Currently exclusive to BerryWorld growers.
Major selection criteria
- Attractive berry with good fruit shape.
- Glossy orange / red fruit.
- Good flavour, high sugar levels, low acid and a pleasant eating experience.
- Sufficient skin and fruit firmness to allow transportation and good shelf life.
- High yields.
- A simple plant habit which allows ease of harvesting.
- A degree of disease resistance.
The Edward Vinson team also takes responsibility for carrying out the breeding of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries within the BerryWorld Plus breeding project. BerryWorld Plus is a joint venture between BerryWorld , Hall Hunter Partnership and Edward Vinson Limited.