Saint Clare of Assisi’s ears must be burning, thanks to all the prayers the patron saint of good weather is receiving from farmers across the globe hoping for favourable growing conditions.

In the UK, the winter vegetable crop is crucial to helping producers recover some of the losses from the summer’s washout. So far, there is a mixed picture, with certain producers reporting that crops such as parsnips are doing well and others saying that while the season is late for brassicas, if the weather holds out they should manage to harvest enough to meet demand.

George Rivers, Produce World’s procurement director, says parsnips, of which the business produces 42,000 tones annually, are on course. “They are sweet, white and a good size,” he says.

“While parsnips will take frosty weather, we need good conditions for actually getting the deliveries out. We don’t want roads that are closed off or inaccessible.”

A spokesman for Lincolnshire-based Staples Vegetables says that although the Brussels sprout crop was late, if the weather goes well from now the crop would come in just fine. “We need a cool, dry couple of weeks,” he added. “We do 50 per cent of our sales in the two weeks before Christmas so they have to be ready or we miss that window.”

Chairman of the Brassica Growers’ Association, Matt Rawson, is optimistic about the winter season and in the future of the industry as a whole, especially as there is potential funding for a new education campaign. “As people know, the weather has been against growers and we have had a very difficult year,” he says.

“However, thanks to the professionalism and dedication of our members, we have been working round the clock to keep supply flowing. The majority of the supermarkets are helping by altering the specifications and by limiting promotional activity. This all comes at a time when there is a high demand for British produce; we’re seeing vegetables such as sprouts, kale and cauliflower increase their sales.

“Christmas is, of course, a crucial time for the selling of winter crops but we’re looking forward to 2013-14 and all the exciting innovation that is going to help support the sector. “New product development is very important to the industry as is the continued education of consumers on how to choose, prepare and cook brassicas so they get the best out of this range of vegetables.”

Sainsbury’s says it is seeing growth of swede, turnip and celeriac and is mindful that to meet demand for all lines affected by weather it is continuing to accept less than perfect-looking vegetables. “The key focus for this year, in particular across roots and brassicas, is to utilise as much of the UK crop as possible, which has been affected by a poor growing season,” explains a spokesman. “Customers will see blemished and smaller veg, particularly across the Basics range. “In terms of the prepped vegetables we’re actually seeing that customers are still buying into the more traditional summer veg lines such as our Mediterranean Roasting, which is up by 34 per cent year on year.”

Morrisons has also announced it will be accepting smaller broccoli, leeks and swedes in its standard vegetable range. Richard Hodgson, group commercial director, says: “As a result of this terrible weather we need to make sure that we make more use of British crops. We think these measures will ensure customers can buy more British food without affecting the taste or cost. “Morrisons works directly with many of its growers and we will be using these strong relationships to ensure the weather causes as little wastage as possible.”

Waitrose, which has been describing imperfect produce as ‘wonky veg’, says that this season will not be any different in its support. Alan Wilson, Waitrose’s technical manager (agronomy) says it has always looked to help growers get as much of their produce to market as it can.

He says: “British farmers are having a tough time in this weather and it is important that we support them wherever we can.”


But it’s not all about brassicas; this is also the time when the selling of shallots ramps up. While yields are slightly down from the August and September harvest, the industry’s representative UK Shallots says that there will be good supplies.

“Sales of shallots do increase during the winter due to being synonymous with stews and casseroles but what we would like people to realise is that shallots are an ingredient that can really raise a dish to something special,” adds a spokesman.

“The UK Shallots campaign aims to promote shallots as being for ‘the professional and passionate cook’ – chosen for meals that are intended to be something more than an everyday dish. There is no better time to embrace this than Christmas, where every dish is created with spoiling the diner as a top priority.”

While there are obviously weather issues for winter vegetable crops, there is also the challenge of encouraging more people to appreciate and value these crops for the long term. It helps that increasingly chefs are coming up with new ways to prepare and cook them.

Indian chef Gurpareet Bains, author of Indian Superspices, is on a mission to get more people cooking with root vegetables and brassicas. “I’ve never been a huge fan of Brussels; however steaming them really brings out their natural flavour and sweetness,” he says. “At Christmas time, I love serving them mixed through with cooked bacon, cream and garlic.”

If the power of prayer, combined with the power of celebrity chefs, wins through then hopefully this winter could be the start of a better time for vegetables. —