The British Cherry season usually starts circa mid June, in East Kent, but this year picking started before the end of May
Talking to Steve Castle Farm Manager at Mount Ephraim (and known as 'Steve Cherryman Castle' as he has spent most of his working life involved with Cherries) yesterday, he confirmed this is their earliest ever start to Cherry Harvest!
Below: left. Earlise and right. Folfer
We picked EARLISE cherries her at Mount Ephraim on 26th May which is our earliest date.This seems to be a week or so earlier than a typical year. In years 2017 and 2022 we picked on 29th May and in others years between 6th and 12th June. Although EARLISE is not known for bold flavour, it seemed particularly bland this year. 
FOLFER is tasty which suggests other varieties won't suffer from lack of flavour as EARLISE has.
Maturity across the varieties this year seems to be mixed,with MERCHANT taking it's time to mature. Other varieties appear to have more mixed maturity on the trees with more green,pink and red fruit than usual,which could make picking more tricky.
Yields are looking good to heavy which are a result of early covering bumblebee hives ,honey bees and lack of frosts. MERCHANT is looking heavy, as is VANDA. The jewel in the cherry crown (KORDIA) looks promising and as exciting as ever.
We suffered with several incidents of tunnel damage this year but of course that is the risk we take.
Below: Mount Ephraim in East Kent
Below: left. Steve Castle and right. Boxes of Mount Ephraim FOLFAR Cherries
Year on Year as we move into June, roadside stalls appear with Strawberries and Cherries advertised.
In times gone by, Imported fruit would have dominated the display, but now with early British strawberries now available from early spring, initially grown in glasshouses before the volume increases with production in 'ever more sophisticated' plastic tunnel houses and Cherries from Spain offered until British Cherries come into season later in mid to late June.
Below: left. Strawberries growing on tabletops in tunnels and right. Cherries growing in tunnels
Today Friday 7th June I called in at a fruit stall in East Sussex to see what is available!
On the stall a very personable young man - Alfie who showed me superb strawberries supplied form a leading Kent strawberry grower and Spanish cherries of very good quality.
AND; a limited display of British Cherries suppled from HAYGROVE in Ledbury. 
Alfie anticipates he will have British Cherries grown locally in about 10 days.
Conversations with other local growers indicate the first of their MERCHANT will be on sale in 10 days which is about 10 days earlier than usual.
Below: left. Kentish Strawberries and right. Spanish Cherries on Alfie's stall
That is all for this week
Take care
The English Apple Man