Markets news from Fresh Produce Journal
Essential stories, analysis and research from UK’s fresh produce markets, with a focus on retail, wholesale, marketing, and consumers.
May heatwave spurs summer grocery spending
Grocery sales up by 2.4 per cent year on year, with 10-day heatwave driving demand for barbecue staples, including salads
Driscoll’s Zara named ‘best overall supermarket strawberry’
Variety sold under Waitrose No.1 range has come top in a survey of retailer strawberries in newspaper taste test
ESG Drysdale secures £10mn for expansion plans
Scottish veg producer’s funding package from Royal Bank of Scotland will see it invest in production and processing and continue strong growth trajectory
Aldi and Iceland pledge to help double UK bean consumption
Retailers among a number of major food businesses to push bean sales, with pulses gaining traction as healthy and affordable sources of protein and fibre
First Comber Earlies arrive in stores
Season begins ahead of schedule in Northern Ireland following “fairly kind” growing season to date
Fepex highlights Brexit impact on Spanish trade
Ten years after the Brexit referendum, Spain’s export volumes to the UK have declined significantly while value has jumped 29 per cent
Legendary NCGM buyer Bob King retires
Tommy Leighton of the Covent Garden Market Authority reflects on how Le Marché’s buyer contributed to the success of some of the UK’s most prestigious restaurants and hotels
Waitrose launches year-round British samphire thanks to hydroponics
Glasshouse growing method replicates coastal microclimates to allow continuous UK supply
Perfect conditions bring super-sweet British raspberry crop
Growers having a ‘vintage year’ with ideal growing conditions ensuring standout flavour and quality, according to British Berry Growers
Naturitalia sees greater demand in Europe for premium produce
Italian supplier says Scandinavia and Germany are now ‘testing grounds’ for premium items like stonefruit, grapes and kiwifruit
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Wrap aims to ‘change narrative’ on food waste through series of events
Key message is that we have ‘everything to gain – nothing to waste’ by acting on one of the world’s biggest economic, environmental and social issues
“This is the moment” for sustainable farming
Eighty years since the Soil Association was founded in the shadow of the Second World War, CEO Helen Browning reveals her pride that the organisation’s ideas are finally entering the mainstream
Mislabelling issue returns, as Israeli settlements under scrutiny
The EU Commission is set to propose ways to restrict trade with Israeli settlements, as new report sheds light on scale of problem on European markets
Co-op and Deliveroo fight food waste with £3 mystery produce bags
Each ‘Second Chance Saver Bag’ contains six to eight fruit and veg products worth up to £32 from a selected Co-op store
G’s turns Tesco lettuces into footballs for World Cup
Playful twist to iceberg lettuce packaging aims to encourage healthy eating during the tournament
South Africa’s Flash Gala apples hit record volumes
Premium volumes surge as growers overcome challenges and expand plantings, with over 80 per cent of orchards now at maturity
Veg Power looks to build on cabbage trend
Veg Power, Hazera and the Brassica Growers Association have teamed up to mark the ‘year of the cabbage’, with the aim of boosting consumption and awareness in the UK
NFU urges government to act on food security
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union, shone a light on the present instability of the UK food system at a recent conference focused on defence
Australian tech firm Fresho makes major UK acquisition
Deal a significant part of Fresho’s broader plan to accelerate its AI capabilities and drive continued product innovation across its markets
Jabs present uncertain dilemma for fruit and veg
The sudden rise of weight loss drugs, or GLP-1s, in the UK is creating uncertainty across the food industry, as analysts assess the likely impact