LOS ANGELES, CA - Due to their consistent sweetness and flavor experience, Sweet Karoline® blackberries are growing in popularity. To account for the increase in demand, Berry Fresh continues to expand Sweet Karoline acreage and evaluate opportunities to expand production into the United States.

“The variety has been extremely well received by both retailers and consumers over the past several seasons, and that momentum has supported our production growth,” shared Laudan Chaffin, Marketing Director for Berry Fresh. “Expanding Sweet Karoline production into the U.S. is a natural next step as we continue to meet growing demand—and a key part of that expansion is our current early-stage trials in Oregon. Our focus is on building a year-round premium offering that delivers a consistent, enjoyable eating experience.”

Oregon has a history in blackberry cultivation, making it a natural place to explore opportunities. Berry Fresh’s longstanding network of farmer relationships helps, too.

“U.S. production plays an important role in providing a year-round offering, particularly during key summer months. This allows us to offer retailers a differentiated blackberry with strong flavor in a window where flavor has historically been more variable,” Laudan added. “Overall, this expansion reflects our continued investment in growing the Sweet Karoline program in a thoughtful, scalable way—with the goals of delivering consistent quality and driving long-term category growth.”

Part of Berry Fresh’s thoughtful approach is through the Sweet Karoline eating experience. Historically, consumers associate blackberries with tartness, but the Sweet Karoline variety challenges that perception with a noticeably sweeter, more balanced flavor.

“Because of that, it has proven effective at bringing new consumers into the blackberry category while also driving repeat purchases,” Laudan noted. “While a lot of effort and years of development went into bringing the variety to market, the most important differentiator is the memorable eating experience. What truly sets Sweet Karoline® apart is its consistently sweet flavor profile.”

Consistency is just as important as sweetness because it builds trust and confidence between the consumer and the retailer.

With a production strategy in place and a premium product in hand, Berry Fresh is ready to tackle summer berry demand.