Kitchen Garden Forum

I bought a bundle of these plants last year, pinched off all the flowers to let them get established, and my word, what a crop! The berries are sort of oval/conical shape and have a fantastic flavour. Even the old boys on the allotments have been impressed with them, especially how early they are. I have had about 1.5 pounds since the weekend, and they're just getting going. I haven't grown them under cover, just in a raised bed, but I reckon there will be a queue for runners from them this year. I think that I bought them from Marshalls, though there are none in their catalogue this year.

If you can get hold of any, a big recommendation from me. I haven't managed to get enough home to make a strawberry tart yet, though, as I keep eating them on the allotment!

hi Vivienz,
I have been trying to locate some Ciflorette stawberry plants without much success (Marshals no longer do them) & an e-mail to the french producers Anjou plants got no reply. would you know of any other sources?
I have the sister plants Gariguette they are excellent.& early great in a tunnel (table top style).
Does anyone else have any experience of Ciflorete or the english variety Cambridge pine?.....best regards Strawberry tart.

According to their website, Meiosis Ltd in Kent supply them. Their phone number is 01732 872711.

Are these a special (wild ??) variety of strawberry? I've never heard of them and wonder, apart from the shape what makes them different from other varieties?

Tks for the replies. Meiosis are a large company working with breeders and big fruit producers, but i have been in touch with one of their members Blackmoor nurseries at Liss who's information on the variety makes them think that it is unlikely to be stocking them? also when i contacted Marshalls earlier in the year they said similar and that they wouldnt be stocking them in the future either?This completely contradicts other reports on the variety that i have read, including of course Vivienz's.Which praise them highly!
Primrose, as far as i know they are similar to Gariguette but acording to some "much superior" I really rate Gariguette for early cropping, excellent taste and novelty being of an elongated shape and a really shiny orangey red colour, hence my search for the ciflorette....Strawberry tart.
p.s. got a similar reply from Ken Muir(who do supply Gariguette) so there must be something that the suppliers dont like?

Sorry for the late reply - new job, decorating & strawberry picking!
The first flush of fruits off my ciflorette plants were enormous - large victoria plum size to give you an idea. The colour is different,too, more pink/orangey red so you can pick them when they look underripe compared to english varieties. The flavour is exceptionally sweet and verging on aromatic.
I don't know why the suppliers don't like them, I can only assume that because of their unusual shape, they haven't been popular, but they really are terrific. I read up on the anjou website about them and it seems that they are a second generation development of the gariguette variety, or a type of. I have noticed that they need to be eaten within a day or two of being picked as the skin loses its gloss very quickly, but this hasn't been a problem at all!

They have also been really early - grown outdoors in the south the first of the crop was ready at about the same time as polytunnel grown english varieties.

Hopefully, some of the suppliers may read the forum and realise there is a demand for them.

Even the top chefs rave about these scrumptious delights - Rowley Leigh in the Times (I think) raved about them and gave a recipe for a strawb tart specifically using gariguette strawbs, so the suppliers may be missing a trick here. We can hope!

Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Vivien

Yes - you're right Viv. Rowley Leigh does have a recipe specifically for them.

Hi all - we planted some new strawberry plants last year from a local supplier. They are very big and earlyish but we are disappointed with the flavour.
So will try these two next time. Has anyone come across any other suppliers??

Hello Losos. as i said in the post before Ken Muir supply gariguette, i had some from them and they are great. in fact i have never had any probs with Ken Muir, their stuff comes well packaged, has always been good quality for me and comes with informative cultural information. i'm about to order some cambridge late pine from them, which are supposed to be tops for flavour, anyone else tried this variety?.....all the best Strawberry Tart...p.s. i do grow other things apart from strawberries!