How are the blackberries around your way?

[Time40]

I've been in West Yorkshire recently ... terrible blackberries, tiny stunted half-grown things; they looked as though they hadn't formed properly - and the bit of Yorkshire I go to is usually awash with them. I've also been in Somerset - total lack of blackberries. I found my first blackberries of the year so far in the nature reserve next to South Mimms services, of all unlikely places - absolutely brilliant berries; so big and sweet that we're going to eat them just as berries tomorrow (I usually stew them up with apple). I've been to Cambridge today, but I forgot to check there. What is the blackberry situation like where you are?

South coast - they've been pretty good so far!

Bear in mind there's over 400 types of micro species of blackberry in the UK alone, some small and close, some plump and juicy, some sweet, some sour... If you're not having much luck, try a different location and see if you can find a bush more to your liking!

Big and juicy - Midlands.

It varies here in south Gloucestershire from ripe and massive to green and tiny in almost the same spot. The ones in the woods at the end of the garden are massive

Did you think the ones in the supermarket are hand picked from the hedgerows?

@KimKardashiansLostEarring No, of course not. But I've hardly ever seen them in supermarkets; I didn't think it was much of a supermarket thing. Obviously I've been suffering from supermarket blindness, and simply not noticed them.

there's over 400 types of micro species of blackberry in the UK alone

What??? Gosh. 400!

I picked a load on Thursday (also London/Surrey border) and they were great. I got about 700g, and will have another go at them today. Looks like we're having crumble this evening!

What bit of NE London are you in? I am in Waltham Forest/Essex and I can't remember a year with such an early bumper crop of delicious big blackberries. It appears to be going on for weeks yet.

I'm closer in - Stoke Newington. Went to three of my secret berry bushes this weekend, but they're clearly also the secret berry bushes of 2,000 other middle-class foragers, because they'd all been picked clean.