The cauliflower sector has hit back at national press coverage suggesting cauliflower’s days are numbered among UK consumers.
Kantar Worldpanel figures reported last week indicated that sales of the vegetable fell last year by five per cent while consumption declined by 3.5 per cent. The news was picked up by several national papers whose readers commented online that they found the product expensive.
Phil Effingham of the Brassica Growers Association explained: “We have been banging the drum on cauliflower sales for a couple of years but we are still seeing the number of growers declining and we are down to fewer than 50 growers now. We have always known that cauliflower is consumed in the 30+ age category, but the younger people that are moving into that age group have lost sight of cauliflower as an ingredient.”
He added that growers have had “a couple of difficult years” and this has necessitated imports which have meant increased prices. “But we still believe cauliflower represents good value for money. A head of cauliflower is enough for six people and it is just £1.38 at the moment.”
Effingham is hoping for a resurgence of interest with the industry’s Love Your Greens campaign. He said: “We have just got to reinvent the cauliflower and raise its profile so people realise it is not just a staple for meat-and-two-veg meals but that there are all sorts of other recipes to try. That is why we are engaging people like [chef] Rachel Green.”
