Although demand for leafy salads was low over the Christmas period, good-quality Spanish product was in place on the multiples’ shelves, says leafy salad grower Langmead Farms.
December’s cold and wet weather has been blamed for the lack of demand for leafy salads over the Christmas period and year-on-year sales are down.
“Year-on-year leafy salad sales are not where we would like due to the Christmas demand being lower than expected; but generally product from Spain was on the shelves before Christmas and there was no shortage,” said Paul Beynon, sales and marketing director at Langmead Farms, which grows crops in both Chichester and Murcia, Spain.
Suppliers have been faced with availability issues when sourcing popular leafy salads this Christmas; transport strikes in Italy prior to the Christmas period delayed rocket supplies reaching the UK, and frosts in France caused a shortage of lambs lettuce.
“We focus on getting the right quality and making sure our orders are out on time and on the multiples’ shelves,” said Beynon. “It has been the best Christmas in terms of making sure that happened.”
No comments yet