British apple growers should be delighted at the presentation of their fruit at Asda, even if the price of 65-70mm Cox on special offer is £2 for 2kg. The mock wooden box carries two of the biggest Union Jacks on any shelf.
In fact, the concept of the national flag got an interesting reaction from shoppers. I overheard some saying they would like the idea extended to other countries as a way of telling the source.
Certainly, one wonders how many look at the label, and even then don’t realise where the product is grown. There has been an explosion in blueberries from different sources, for example. The Co-operative has looked to South Africa for a variety named Sharp Blue, priced at £2 for 150g.
Even further afield, despite the fact the Mediterranean citrus season is in full swing, Marks & Spencer has Tiny Tangerines from China at £3.99 for 450g. Grown in the Jiangxi region, it is claimed that they have been around for more than 1,300 years, long before the arrival of European Navel, Valencia and easy peelers.
Meanwhile, the bagged salad industry continues to break new ground. The names of famous chefs are a regular feature, but it is not often that high street chains get in on the act. Tesco has a Pizza Express-branded Insalata Verde, at £1 for 130g, comprising Apollo lettuce as well as endive, lollo rosso, radicchio and rocket. It also contains a sachet of light dressing, blended from 19 ingredients.
Linking products is not new, but it’s usually confined to dressings or dairy products. One of the more unusual offers in the same store ties in grapes with 50p off the range of Castello cheese. The fruit in question, at two punnets for £4, is Spanish Crimson Seedless, a mix of Scarlotto from the same source and Brazilian Thompson, which is also sold on its own.
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