Looking for new and exciting developments over the Easter weekend was a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack amongst free-standing displays of chocolate eggs, offers on champagne and, of course, flowers.

This got me wondering why some bright marketing man has not had a re-think about the ubiquitous fruit basket as a gift to coincide with Easter. Theoretically, everything should be going for it. Fruit is attractive, tastes wonderful and is being endorsed with yards of newsprint about the benefits of losing weight and staying healthy. I would also imagine that the retail mark-up is better than the equivalent weight in confectionery at knock-out prices.

Meanwhile, I was left wondering this week if Tesco’s customers have had a glimpse of the future when it comes to fruit packing. While the media has been full of the evils of plastic bags on environmental grounds, there has often been similar criticism targeted at the mass of trays and over-wraps, which for a long time have presented and protected our fresh produce on the shelf.

They may not disappear completely, but someone has obviously been taking notice of the critics, as the term “biodegradable” is already appearing on packs - although in the main, the visual aspect remains the same.

However, it would be interesting to know if we are now taking a tip from Germany, which was the source of four Gala and Braeburn in a no-nonsense kraft pack, complete with window, priced at £1.69. My assumption, of course, is that the apples are packed at source.

In one sense, this is also another example of how each product is being segmented to offer the public a choice, ranging from top of the tree added-value, to what has been described to me unofficially as “cheap Class II domestic”.

The expansion of fresh cut has widened the difference even further, as with the once humble carrot. Crunchy, ready-washed snack batons made their appearance some years ago, and now Marks & Spencer has added a dip as an integral part of the concept, with 130g tubs priced at £1 each.

At the other end of the scale, Sainsbury’s has a two-for-one offer on 1kg packs at 66p, although the message “no need to peel” does lift the bag out of the ordinary.

The same could certainly be said for beetroot, which has undergone a transformation and is now far removed from when independent retailers used to boil the root in an old bath at the back of the shop. While I know the basic product is still available, it would be interesting to know how much of its sales have been overtaken by the increasing number of alternatives bathed in various marinades now on the market.

And in addition, there has been the arrival of trademarked brands such as Sweetfire beetroot, available at Tesco, with 150g priced at £1.39. What is more intriguing is that the source, rather than the UK, turns out to be France.

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