£52 For a Punnet of Strawberries?

Don’t worry, we’re not upping our prices. A specialist fruit shop in Japan on the other hand claim that their strawberries are so special they command a £52 price tag for a box of twelve.

Strawberries aren't the only fruits experiencing this extreme kind of inflation in the Senbikiya shop in central Tokyo. These traditional grocers turned specialist fruit growers are charging £257 for three melons and £15.00 for a single apple.

If you're wondering what's so special about this fruit, imagine this. Apples the size of a babies head, grapes the size of plums and melons that are perfectly round. 

Growing fruit of this quality certainly isn't easy, firstly only the very best seeds are cultivated by local farmers, any weaker strain are targeted and weeded out. Once it begins to grow, if the initial flower of the plant seems poor the whole thing is discarded.

The melons - for example -  are grown in even rows at precisely the same height; each vine is only permitted to bear one fruit ensuring all the nutrients and goodness goes into the single melon. This results in a perfectly spherical pale green melon with the obligatory T-shaped stalk.

All of the fruit sold in Senbikiya has had the same sheltered, loving upbringing affording the produce it's very unique price point. 

The family behind the business began as a regular greengrocers, then the idea of selling fruit as a luxury item began to blossom. The store has boosted the existing trend in Japan for giving away fruit as gifts. Something that Fruit For The Office have been doing for years, may I add.

Picture Credit