That peak time of the year is coming up when British sprout growers grit their teeth and weather the annual comments in the media that these are not the favourite vegetable on the Christmas plate. However, hope springs eternal and there are obviously consumers out there that relish the taste.

With this in mind, Tesco, in its Just Discovered range, has come up with a Lincolnshire-grown giant-sized button at £1.50 for eight. Additionally, the sleeve of its more traditional stalks at £1.75 has received a makeover and now carries a Christmas design.

There is also a tip at Morrisons with a shelf barker advising of a “Neat Cheat”, by suggesting that customers do not peel off sprouts’ outer leaves as these “add colour and extra taste”. This advice is given for its pre-packed British traditionally sized buttons at £1 for 750g, and loose arrivals from Holland at £2.50/kg.

Moving onto salads, there is a new lettuce taste on the block at Asda with Sala Rico from Spain at £1 each. The variety, which is Cos-shaped, apparently has the crunch of the former and the sweetness of Romaine.

The trend for peppers – or capsicums as some prefer to call them – to be identified by variety continues. Tesco is providing a long red variety at £1 each called Lamoya.

Baby corn at this time of year is mainly associated with Thailand, but now India has joined the club via Asda at £1 for 135g.

An ongoing debate began when the multiples realised the attraction of stocking local produce, although as far as I know there has never been an exact definition of what this entails.

Marks & Spencer seems to be extending the concept with its Local Apple Bag at £1.99 for five, with Fuji grown in Norfolk found on sale in Surrey. —