Top-fruit varieties that are new to the consumer continue to arrive thick and fast on retail shelves.

One of the latest apples in Marks & Spencer’s Limited Edition range comes from France. Golden Delicious may be engraved

forever on the public memory but Opal, priced at £1.99 for four, provides a new alternative.

The fruit has similar shoulders, indicating the same parentage somewhere along the line, but with a rosy blush more indicative of Tentation.

Belgium continues to expand its range of pears, with Tesco offering a “perfectly ripe” twin pack of Flanders Gold at the unusual price of 97p.

If proof were needed of the international nature of the produce industry, consumers do not have to look further than the mix of fresh ingredients that can create stir fries. One of the best recent examples labelled very clearly for all to see is Sainsbury’s 200g vegetable concoction at £1.50. It contains peas, baby corn, Tenderstem broccoli, pak choi, chilli and lemon grass sourced from Peru, India, Kenya, Zambia, Thailand and the UK.

Saving the best to last is one way to retain shoppers’ attention. Recently, Morrisons has stepped up its offer with the refurbishment of my local branch in Woking, Surrey. The produce department is huge by any standards and the range amazing.

One small indication is the section devoted to mushrooms, which includes not just the usual offer but 100g of South Korean King Oysters at £1.70 as well as French Chantelle and Pied Bleu at £3 each, with a promise of St George’s, Shiro Shimeji and Buna.

As an aside, UK sprout growers have come up with a red variety on the stalk for Christmas at £1.99.-