The arrival of the stoneless mini avocados last week certainly raised the level of national coverage and excitement. However, I would suggest it was almost a case of “never has so much been written by so many about so little”.

Rightly in my view, writes David Shapley, it also grabbed the attention of the FPJ, which did a sterling job of providing a sense of focus to the whole event.

However, I'm eager to add my own ‘halfpence worth.

All the announcements in the national press I saw failed to point out to the public that these avocados were introduced by Agrexco over 25 years ago, as cocktail avocados (pictured right from Waitrose), and sold both by retailers and in the wholesale markets.

In those days there were fewer cookery programmes and general interest in food, so, with the exception of the trade, their arrival was hardly noticed. Today I have a feeling retailers disseminate this sort of information not just for public consumption but also to be one up on the competition.

Meanwhile, during my travels, I came across something in Tesco which could easily be mistaken for the same product (pictured above).

English mini-cucumbers at 99p for 200g, which were being presented as snacking food - perhaps something that could interest those who supply fruit and veg to schools.

In the world of summer fruit, most stores appear to be awash with stone fruit, and the French and Italian seasons still have a long way to run. Despite this, however, there seems to be room for niche market crops.

Tesco is tapping into this sector with its Eat-me-Keep-me plum pack (pictured right). I was intrigued to see it offered consumers a mix of sources that includes both Israel, which has done well to capture a niche market with its special varieties, and a less common source, namely Portugal.

If stone fruit is cheap, cherries remain at the luxury end of the market. Washington has won a substantial place in consumers' affection over the years with its Bing and, more recently, golden Ranier. When I first visited the orchards, growers told me the latter was far too tender to make the trip overland and then cross the Atlantic. Several years on it is amazing what science can do, which has also resulted in what is the first twin pack (pictured) I have seen from Marks & Spencer, priced at £5.99, which is a further indication that the simplest ideas are often the best.

Another initiative is that the punnet is sealed to be tamper-proof.

Quite right at that price.

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