Soft Fruit Breeding

Edward Vinson's Strawberry Breeding Programme was established in 1986 with the intention of producing improved Everbearer varieties for the Northern European market.

• Evita first release in 1993.
• Everest and Everglade released in 1998 after extensive trialling with BerryWorld growers.
• Challenger released for the amateur market in 2000 under exclusive arrangements.
• Evie 2 released in 2001 giving BerryWorld growers a five year exclusivity for UK production.
• Evie 3 released in 2003 giving BerryWorld growers a five year exclusivity for UK production.
• Sweet Eve and Eves Delight released in 2008 giving BerryWorld growers a 5 year exclusivity for UK production as well as to VB BV growers in Holland and Belgium and open to growers in other countries.

Currently the Programme is being extended planting some 33,000 seedlings per annum with the aim of producing improved varieties for both northern and southern Europe.

Major selection criteria:

Attractive berry with good fruit shape. Glossy orange / red colour. Good flavour with high sugar levels 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.

An agreement exists with BerryWorld giving its suppliers certain rights relating to extended trialling of varieties from the Edward Vinson Programme.

A co-operation agreement exists with Five Aces Breeding based in Maryland USA. Five Aces has a similar wide field of activity and the agreement allows significant benefits to both parties.