Fruit seems to come more into focus on multiple shelves at this time of the year.

Whether it is the change of season from northern to southern hemisphere, or the arrival of spring, who knows? But I can sense momentum building despite the sourcing of berries from Spain still being a difficult task due to inclement conditions. At least there are hopes that an improvement in weather is on the way to coincide with Easter.

Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer is coming up with some less well-known strawberry varieties such as Candonga at two punnets for £3. The store is also having to go as far as South Africa for the limited amount of raspberries on display at the branch I visited, where Marvilla -another new variety - was priced at £2.99 for 170g.

The simplest ideas are usually the best, and Sainsbury’s has come up trumps with its new polybags to help market smaller fruit designed to appeal to children.

Putting a picture on the bag seems pretty obvious, and it certainly works with bananas priced at 73p, and also apples.

At the other end of the scale, I enjoyed sorting out a bit of mystery at Tesco. At a time when labels and the information on them are an art form, details about chikoo from India priced at £1.19 were scant. I did try to look it up, but full marks to the multiple’s customer service enquiry team whose number is on a label otherwise devoid of useful facts.

I wonder how many others have rung up to be told it is a fruit, which must be eaten ripe, that originated in Mexico and is also grown in the Philippines? According to the press office it has been on the shelves since Christmas and is part of the store’s ethnic range.

At least Marks & Spencer is now labelling arguta as baby kiwi under its Perfectly Ripe brand. Priced at two 125g packs for £3 the new name should certainly help get the product better known.

Prepared fruit also seems to have taken a step forward with new added-value contents such as M&S’s fresh fruit salad at £1.99 which contains a mixed-seed sprinkle. The seeds are sunflower, linseed and pumpkin, and the idea is catching on.

Sainsbury’s has a £1.99 salad range on an introductory offer that includes apples, seeds, raisins, cucumber and pomegranate.

One of the success stories in the vegetable category has been the arrival of Tenderstem, the trademarked brassica that is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale.

Up until now I have only ever noticed it being sold in its whole form, but M&S recently began to offer Tenderstem tips grown in Morocco at £1.29 for 125g. The product has also made an appearance in a mix with fine beans from Kenya at £1.49. By comparison the conventional packs from the same source are £1.79 for 200g.

With the arrival of the UK Supersweet onion some years ago I thought the humble bulb might be destined for similar greatness.

Under the Taste the Difference range Sainsbury’s is sourcing what seems to a similar type at 99p for three (500g). The one surprise - probably even to the onion sector - is that the source is Guatemala.

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