During the vibrant phenomenon known as mango season, many South Asians in the UK are willing to fork out hundreds for a taste of home.
But these aren’t your typical supermarket mangoes. Each year, from late spring to early summer, millions of mangoes from India and Pakistan arrive in the UK, bringing nostalgia, flavour, and family tradition with them.
They don’t just satisfy a craving. For many, they connect generations and preserve cultural identity.
Mango season typically runs from late March to July. But the peak period can last just a few weeks and that’s if the weather behaves.
In India, the monsoon ends the season abruptly. If rains come early, as they have this year, the window shortens even more.
One farmer in Gujarat said strong winds and early rainfall caused fruit to fall before ripening. Reportedly, monsoon rains have arrived ahead of schedule and that means boxes are already flying off the shelves in the UK.
These mangoes rarely make it to big-name supermarkets. Instead, they fill the shelves of South Asian-owned grocery stores in communities across the country.
In Leicester, Shiva Shakti Foods is one of many local grocers selling them in bulk. Shivam Pabari, who helps run the business, said: “In one weekend during the season, we could sell up to 600 boxes.”
Big retailers like Asda and M&S sometimes stock them as a “speciality” item, but most fans go straight to the source, independent shops that stack boxes high and sell them by the dozen. When it comes to South Asian mangoes, it’s all about flavour and feel.
Saurabhi Bhave said: “The taste, the fragrance, the aroma, they’re completely their own league.
“You have to taste them to appreciate them.” Unlike many supermarket varieties, South Asian mangoes are softer, juicier and often have a smooth, creamy texture.
Ms. Bhave and her family spend around £150 a year on them. This season, they’ve already shared eight boxes, each holding 12 mangoes.
She added: “We just can’t stop ourselves. Because the window is just so short, we’ve got to make the most of it.” There are hundreds of mango varieties, but two stand out: Kesar and Alphonso.
Alphonso mangoes, golden, sweet and fragrant, are often crowned “king of mangoes”. But in areas like Leicester, Kesar mangoes reign.
Mr Pabari explained: “It’s part of people’s culture. It’s part of their home, family, what it was like growing up.”
“For a lot of the older generation as well, this was their treat. They would come home from school and their mum, their grandmas would cut up the mangoes and they’d have them.”
Dharmesh Patel and his wife travel from Rugby to Leicester to buy mangoes during the season. To him, the fruit offers more than just flavour.
He said: “It makes us feel more Indian. Every year, most years, we spend maybe £200 on mangoes for the season.”
That sentiment runs deep. Mango season is less a trend and more a ritual, connecting people with their roots, childhood memories and cultural pride.
There’s no one way to eat a mango. Some turn them into desserts. Others blend the pulp for custard-like treats.
But the most common method is also the messiest, slicing the fruit and scraping the soft flesh from the skin with your teeth. Their texture doesn’t suit cubes or forks. These mangoes are meant to be devoured the old-fashioned way.
With their short season and long journey from South Asia to the UK, these mangoes come at a premium. A box of 12 can cost up to £25 at independent shops. Ms Bhave noted that prices tend to be highest at the start of the season before dropping slightly.
Mr Pabari said freight costs, limited availability and high demand all drive up prices. According to him, some grocers may even take a loss just to keep selling them. The BBC found from a sample of larger supermarkets that stocked the fruit, online or in-store, that they were sometimes more expensive.
A box of 12 Kesar mangoes at an independent shop costed £18, which equates to £1.50 per mango. Meanwhile, at an Asda store in Nottingham, a box of five of the same variety was £7.98, while individual mangoes labelled “tropical” with no specific details about their origin were 74p each.
An M&S store in the East Midlands was selling individual Kesar mangoes for £2 each, while a pack of two standard mangoes was £3. In 2014, a sudden EU ban on Indian mango imports caused uproar in the UK.
Authorities halted shipments after discovering pests in several consignments. The move sparked backlash from importers, business groups and mango lovers alike.
One UK importer called it a “knee-jerk reaction.” Leicester’s Belgrave Business Association warned it would hurt the local economy.
Retailers and wholesalers feared the financial impact, and even an online petition was launched. Though the ban also affected other produce, it was mangoes that caused the biggest stir.
Thankfully, in 2015, the European Commission lifted the ban earlier than expected. Today, South Asian mangoes remain a cherished seasonal delicacy.
They offer more than a sweet bite; they offer memory, identity, and a link to the homeland. For the South Asian diaspora, a box of mangoes isn’t just a luxury. It’s a taste of tradition.
