New Brunswick’s Wild Blueberry Flavour Fest is back this summer and concludes on Sunday.
The festival is organized by Bleuets NB Blueberries (BNBB) and General Manager Don Arseneault promises it will be a vibrant celebration with more than 160 participants from across New Brunswick.
“We’re quite excited and it educates a little bit more of the public about the special fruit that we have,” said Arseneault.
Whether you’re a devoted berry lover or sampling for the first time, there’s a delightful array of options to savour. From wild blueberry pizzas and salads to sauces, craft beers, smoothies, and indulgent desserts, the week is filled with delicious dishes and beverages.
Local restaurants, cafes, craft breweries, bakeries, and bed-and-breakfasts are all showcasing the province’s beloved wild blueberry, a superfruit cultivated by nearly 200 dedicated farmers.
The festival also brings attention to the wealth of health benefits offered by wild blueberries, which are abundant in antioxidants and beneficial for brain, cardiovascular, and eye health.
Arseneault also mentioned New Brunswick supplies 20 per cent of the world’s wild blueberries, saying the blueberries you see in grocery stores are cultivated rather than harvested in the wild.
Blueberries that are cultivated have been enhanced to produce larger fruits and greater yields. These plants are arranged in neat rows and tend to be taller, often featuring just one or two varieties in a given field.
In contrast, wild blueberries are significantly smaller, growing on low-bush plants that reach only ankle height. They take their time to grow, sometimes requiring years to fully occupy a small area, and are not altered by those who tend to them.
Wild fields can host thousands of unique varieties of these petite berries, showcasing a spectrum of colours from light to deep blue, with flavours that range from sweet to tart and tangy.
BNBB highlights the significant financial contribution of the wild blueberry industry to New Brunswick’s economy. In 2021, Statistics Canada said that this sector added a remarkable $81 million to the provincial GDP.
