Asda’s wholehead salad supplier English Village Salads (EVS) has started supplying UK-grown Little Gem Lettuce into selected Yorkshire stores - despite recent wet weather and the occasional earthquake.
This makes Asda the first major supermarket to get British Little Gem - priced at 79p - on its shelves this year.
Grown by Snaith Salad grower Mark Hardwick, the variety has been specifically developed by Enza Zaden to withstand British winter conditions in frost-protected, non-heated greenhouses. The variety, which has been in development since 2006, has the exact same characteristics as a traditional open-field crop; a crispy, tasty and healthy lettuce, rich in vitamins A and C.
Presenting the first few heads to the Asda store in Bradford, Steve Dickinson, EVS account manager, said: “We started supplying into Asda’s Wakefield depot this week, and customers were be able to buy their first British Little Gem lettuce by Thursday.”
Andy Wareham, salad buyer at Asda, said: “More and more of our customers are telling us they want to be able to buy British fruit and veg wherever possible, so we’re delighted to be the first to give them the chance to buy not only British Little Gem, but ones that have actually been grown locally in Yorkshire.”
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