There is nothing like a bit of a mystery to get the imagination and the memory going.

Grapefruit sales have been dominated by public demand for pink and red varieties, ever since Florida came to the attention of buyers. So it came as something of a surprise to discover a new line at Tesco in its Nurture range, labelled as Supersweet and priced at 75p for two fruits in an over-wrapped tray.

The fruit turned out to be Marsh, the standard white variety on which the bedrock of demand was built back in the 1960s. Further on, I remember on a trip to the citrus state in the 1980s that there was talk among US breeders of something bigger, sweeter and whiter, so perhaps the latest arrival reflects the fact that they have cracked it.

Year-round continuity of supply with most fruit is no longer a problem and even cherries seem to have filled in the gaps, with Chilean Bing snack packs for £1 now part of the range at Morrisons.

Closing the circle for apricots, however, is still a peak to be climbed, with New Zealand continuing to feature at this time of year. Part of the Waitrose Essentials range, new-season Sundrop priced at £2.49 for 250g is fitting the bill.

In the same store, what is more unusual is the progress that organics are making as part of both an additive to salads and generally promoting a healthy diet.

The case in point are Sango radish sprouts grown in “Hereford’s Golden Valley” by Aconbury Sprouts, at £1.29 for 115g. In general terms, this is an area where suppliers are able to get their own labels on the shelves.

Budgens has a classic salad at £1 for 200g, from Hazeldene. The contents are a 70 per cent mix of escarole, endive and radicchio, with 30 per cent sweet cabbage, and the pack carries a message from managing director Simon Ball.

And the same trend has emerged at Asda, with a fruit salad branded by Del Monte on display at £1 for 240g.

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