Making sure that the blueberries my wife and I buy taste good has become much more of a priority over the past couple of years. In that time, we have been sharing our house with one of the most demanding and – dare I say it – fussy consumers either of us has ever met. He knows immediately if a piece of broccoli is slightly past its use-by date. He can tell if the Brix level in a slice of kiwifruit is below regulation. If the spinach in his pasta sauce has been boiled for too long then he will simply repurpose it as paint and spread it liberally on anything he can reach. Considering our son is not even two years old, his ability to discern high-quality fresh produce from sub-standard fruit and veg is, as his old pal the Gruffalo might say, “astounding”.
I accept that, as adults, economic realism often means we are prepared to settle for less when it comes to the quality of the food we eat, but we are only prepared to take those austerity measures so far. I sincerely hope that, by the time my son grows up, he will be overwhelmed by the range and choice of great-quality fruit and vegetables available to him.
How else do we expect to see this business grow? Mass-market products which strip out all the optional extras might work in some industries, but when it comes to the food and drink we consume, the major markets of the world these days regard quality as a given. If there are extra margins to be made and added value to be offered, increasing that quality yet further is the only real way to see consumption grow.
