The demand for more information to educate and tempt consumers to buy veg seems to be spilling out on the shelves.

Tesco, in its Finest Range under the sub-brand Season’s Best, now includes Italian Elvira potatoes at £2.50 per kg. As well as displaying the national colours, there is a photo of grower Guiseppe Distaso, who farms along a 10-mile sandy coastline strip in the Puglia region, described as ideal for the loose-skinned new crop at this time of year.

Nearer home, the supermarket has also upgraded parsnips. The variety chosen to be highlighted is Javelin at £1.50 per 400g or on offer at three for £2.50 in a mixed pack with Imperator carrots.

Some vegetable arrivals are less well known, such as kohlrabi, which is a staple in Germany. It’s now available at Morrisons, where loose produce complete with leaves is on offer at 75p each.

That country is also known for its love of white asparagus, which is available at £2.99 a bunch, although in this instance it is sourced from Peru.

Another example of how novel products are catching on is the exotic mushroom category. British-grown Enoki have been available for some time, but now they have been given a makeover by Livesey Bros with new packaging. This not only displays the product well, but also brings the variety to greater attention on the shelf. Priced by Sainsbury’s at £2 for 160g, they are apparently the fourth most consumed mushroom in the world.

Marks & Spencer is exclusively stocking baby cherries in its Discovery range at £4.99 per 225g. Another interesting aspect is that the Royal Lee variety is credited to Angus Davison, who, unless he has a namesake, is also the well-known English grower and member of Berry Gardens. —