Scottish blueberry breakthrough sounds a lot better than Willy Wonka's chewing gum
Homegrown blueberries set to arrive on Scotland’s supermarket shelves should be tastier and healthier than imports
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Violet Beauregarde, one of the five ‘lucky’ children to win a ticket to visit the mysterious Willy Wonka, makes a big mistake.
On being told Wonka has invented chewing gum that tastes like a three-course meal – tomato soup, roast beef with baked potato, then blueberry pie and ice cream – she ignores warnings it’s not ready for human consumption and starts chewing anyway. The result is that she turns blue, expands to become a giant blueberry, and is rolled off to have the juice extracted before she explodes.
However, we’re quite sure the invention of a new kind of blueberry by experts at the James Hutton Institute will come with no such (entirely fictional) risks. Instead, the ten years of research that went into the creation of the Highland Charm – the first capable of flourishing in Scotland’s climate – should mean that, in about three years’ time, we’ll be able to have in-season, local fruit that’s tastier and healthier than imports which can take weeks to reach supermarket shelves after being picked.
Sounds wonderful, but maybe don't eat too many, just in case...
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