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South Africa Welcomes the Sweetest Weeks of the Year with Cherry Time™

Cherry season has officially returned — short and sweet

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Cherry Time cherries in a box

Cherry season has officially returned — short, sweet, and eagerly anticipated. Each summer, for just a brief moment, South Africans get to experience the pure joy of cherries picked at their prime. And now, Cherry Time™, the beloved family-run brand from the orchards of Ceres, has announced the arrival of the 2025 harvest.

The trees are heavy, the air warm, and the first deep-red cherries have begun their journey from orchard to table. For Cherry Time™, this marks the start of a fast, carefully choreographed few weeks in which ripe fruit is hand-picked, sorted, cooled within hours, and sent out at its freshest. It’s the kind of season that passes quickly — which is exactly why fans wait for it all year long.

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“This season we wanted Cherry Time to feel present in the small, joy-filled moments that make summer special. Working with South African artisans and creators allowed us to celebrate craft, community, and connection, all values at the heart of our Take a Moment philosophy. Whether it was a candle, a dessert, a piece of jewellery, or a bag of cherries, each touchpoint gave people an opportunity to pause and savour something beautiful.”

Runei Kotze, Brand & Communications Head at Cherry Time™

A Harvest Too Special to Last Long

Unlike fruit that sits in storage for months, Cherry Time™ cherries are harvested and moved immediately, preserving the snap, sweetness, and juiciness that only come from peak-season produce. The brand’s short cherry window has become part of South Africa’s festive rhythm — a reminder to slow down, savour, and celebrate nature’s timing. Whether it’s the quiet dawn hours in the orchards, the families who have tended Ceres’ cherry trees for generations, or the shared moment of popping a cold cherry into your mouth, the brand’s philosophy is simple: Take a Moment.

This year, cherries are available to order online for delivery across Johannesburg and the Western Cape, and will be stocked at major retailers nationwide. For convenience, they are also on the Checkers Sixty60 and Pick n Pay ASAP apps — ideal for summer hosting, holiday gifting, or indulging in that first bite of the season.

Unlike fruit that sits in storage for months, Cherry Time™ cherries are harvested and moved immediately, preserving the snap, sweetness, and juiciness that only come from peak-season produce. The brand’s short cherry window has become part of South Africa’s festive rhythm — a reminder to slow down, savour, and celebrate nature’s timing. Whether it’s the quiet dawn hours in the orchards, the families who have tended Ceres’ cherry trees for generations, or the shared moment of popping a cold cherry into your mouth, the brand’s philosophy is simple: Take a Moment.

This year, cherries are available to order online for delivery across Johannesburg and the Western Cape, and will be stocked at major retailers nationwide. For convenience, they are also on the Checkers Sixty60 and Pick n Pay ASAP apps — ideal for summer hosting, holiday gifting, or indulging in that first bite of the season.

Beyond the Fruit Bowl: A Celebration of Craft, Design and Community

For 2025, Cherry Time™ stepped beyond the grocery aisle, weaving the season into the worlds of craft, fashion, food, beauty, and design. This rare move for an agricultural brand has redefined how South Africans experience cherry season.

Instead of limiting the cherry moment to the fruit bowl, the brand explored ways to bring the harvest into meaningful touchpoints: the dessert you bring, the gift you choose, the candle you light at home, the ice cream you share on a warm afternoon, or even the jewellery you wear. Each collaboration was designed to extend the season’s sense of joy, craft, and abundance into small moments that feel intimate and memorable — staying true to the Take a Moment philosophy.

This year’s partners included Nina Skep, Mondvol Cookies, Eco Diva, Ta Daa Ice Cream, Sweet Lionheart Cakes, Jack Rabbit Chocolates, Meraki Jewellery, Rekindle Candles, and The Piercery, each interpreting Cherry Time™ in their own creative way. From limited-edition flavours and festive treats to handcrafted pieces and sensory experiences, these collaborations invited people to enjoy the season through taste, touch, scent, style, and celebration.

Through these creative partnerships, Cherry Time™ extended its reach into boutique counters, design studios, bakeries, markets, and fashion rails — introducing cherries to new audiences in unexpected places while reinforcing the emotional meaning of the season: sweetness is often found in the moments we slow down for.

Cherry Time harvest
Cherry Time table
Cherry Time
Cherry Time harvesting

Sweet Summer Creations

To celebrate the 2025 harvest, Cherry Time™ has teamed up with two celebrated South African food creators: Astrid Field (@thesweetrebellion) and Naqiyah Mayat (@naqiyah_mayat). Each has crafted a recipe that highlights the fruit’s natural brightness, versatility, and festive charm — the kind of dishes made for summer gatherings and memory-making moments in the kitchen.

Below, discover their seasonal showstoppers — from a playful Cherry Time™ Sweetie Pie to a decadent Cherry Tiramisu.

Cherry Time Sweetie Pie By Naqiyah Mayat

Ingredients

Base:
 • 1 packet store-bought chocolate biscuits (cream removed and halved)

Marshmallow:
 • 2½ Tbsp gelatine
 • ½ cup hot water
 • 1¾ cups granulated sugar
 • ½ cup water
 • 1 egg white
 • 1 tsp Fabbri cherry syrup

Cherry Time™ Compote:
 • 1 cup Cherry Time™ cherries, pitted
 • Zest of ½ lemon
 • 1 tsp white sugar

Chocolate Coating:
 • 1 slab milk chocolate, melted

Method

  1. Add Cherry Time™ cherries, lemon zest and sugar to a pan. Cook gently until soft. Cool.
  2. Dissolve gelatine in hot water.
  3. Beat sugar and ½ cup water for 20 minutes.
  4. Slowly add gelatine while beating for another 14 minutes.
  5. Add egg white and beat for 1 minute.
  6. Stir in Cherry Time™ Compote and Fabbri syrup.
  7. Pipe marshmallow onto biscuit bases and refrigerate.
  8. Melt chocolate in 10-second intervals until smooth.
  9. Dip marshmallow domes into chocolate and allow to set.
Cherry Time Recipe
Cherry Time Tiramisu By Astrid Field

Ingredients (serves 6–8)

Base:
 • 1 × 200 g Boudoir biscuits / ladyfingers

Cherry Time™ Compote:
 • 3 cups Cherry Time™ cherries, pitted
 • ¼ cup water
 • 2 Tbsp kirsch / cherry liqueur / cherry juice
 • ⅓ cup caster sugar
 • Squeeze of lemon juice

Filling:
 • 500 g mascarpone
 • ¼ cup kirsch or cherry juice
 • 375 ml fresh cream
 • ½ cup caster sugar
 • 1 tsp vanilla extract
 • 1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Topping:
 • 250 ml fresh cream
 • 1 Tbsp icing sugar, sifted

Garnish:
 • 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
 • 1 cup fresh Cherry Time™ cherries

Method

Cherry Time™ Compote:

  1. Add Cherry Time™ cherries, water, kirsch/juice, caster sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan.
  2. Heat gently and simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly reduced.
  3. Strain; set cherries aside. Cool reserved liquid completely.
  4. Optional: stir in 2 Tbsp extra kirsch once cooled.

Filling:

  1. Mix mascarpone with kirsch/cherry juice.
  2. Whip cream to soft peaks. Add caster sugar, vanilla (and almond extract if using).
  3. Whip to medium-stiff peaks.
  4. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone in 3–4 additions.

Assembly:

  1. Dip ladyfingers lightly into cooled Cherry Time™ liquid.
  2. Layer in dish.
  3. Spread half mascarpone filling.
  4. Add drained Cherry Time™ cherries.
  5. Add remaining mascarpone.
  6. Refrigerate 6–8 hours.

Topping:

  1. Whip cream to stiff peaks and sweeten with icing sugar.
  2. Pipe over tiramisu.
  3. Dust with cocoa powder and garnish with Cherry Time™ cherries.
Cherry Time tiramisu

With the orchards buzzing and the season officially underway, there’s no better time to savour the sweetest weeks of the year. Whether enjoyed straight from the fridge, baked into a dessert, or shared around a sunlit table, Cherry Time™ invites all South Africans to Take a Moment and celebrate cherry season in all its fleeting glory. And, we can say with certainty that #HelloRecommends Cherry Time™ for the best of the best.

www.cherrytime.co.za
@sweet_cherrytime
Supplied & Victoria Hill

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