Describing texture and flavour must be one of the most difficult tasks on the planet. Scientists may have perfected this skill in quantifying brix levels and fruit pressure, but thankfully for the marketing men, these remain subjects of which the consumer is, and will remain, blissfully ignorant.

Texture and taste-wise, apples are simply regarded as sweet, crunchy, mealy or even sour, but that’s the ballpark. When it comes to onions, the choices range from anything between strong and mild - but similarly, everyone has their own idea of what that actually means. Not put off by the complexity, I am glad to see that several persevering supermarkets continue to take up the challenge and provide their own descriptions.

And the habit is spreading, as more products reach the shelves crying out for a definition of some kind. Chilli peppers are a good for-instance. They not only come in various shapes, sizes and colours but even the same type can vary, as shown by Tesco’s 79p pack of Scotch Bonnet, right. What at least takes the confusion out of the equation is there is a very useful “spice level” on the back of the pack.

Tempting customers to buy products they may not have on their immediate wish-list is, arguably, the most important of retail skills. Descriptions apart, I get the feeling on my trips around stores, that an ever-increasing number of packs are moving on from the tried and tested method of using pictures of fruit or veg in their pristine glory, but making greater use of recipe ideas and suggestions to whet a shopper’s appetite.

Bramley apples, with their colourful packs, are an excellent example of this trend. But it is also spreading well beyond top fruit. Somerfield depicts a prepared salad with what looks like Mozzarella and basil on its 225g prepack of Best Ever branded cherry tomatoes. For the record, the fruit comes from the Netherlands and the variety is Sunstream.

While on the lookout for salad options, as the early summer weather brings the category into sharp focus, having a Lidl nearby has proved an interesting experience, if only for the fact that it tells me that Germany is exporting a range of produce to the UK beyond its traditional mainstay of apples from Lake Constance. A walk round the store soon found what were heralded as two new lettuce arrivals under the Oaklands brand, namely round or butterhead at 45p per head, and speciality. I failed to locate the loose offer, which was marked on-shelf at 49p. Also adding to the salad range were some excellent bunches of red globe type radish at the same price. This week, even if the warm weather is allowing our own outdoor rhubarb to put on a spurt, I also came across the German equivalent under the same brand for £1.99 a lb.

Still with summer in mind, it is intriguing how the melon market is diversifying. From time to time there are exceptionally large sizes on display, particularly of watermelons, but conversely many of the smaller sized Cantaloupe varieties are now appearing as twin packs. One of the latest examples is mini Galia from Israel, seen at Waitrose netted together to make up a two-pack.

And of course soft-fruit sales have already received a boost from the high temperatures. As one of my local retail managers whispered, it is causing a degree of confusion, as last year’s ordering patterns offer virtually no guide to what the customer fancies in 2007.

Topics