Flamingo will trial Tenderstem broccoli in the UK again this year in an attempt to supply increasing demand for the product.
Mainly grown in Kenya and Morocco, Tenderstem broccoli is a cross breed of broccoli and kale, and has proved a hit with UK consumers since it was introduced to the major supermarkets four years ago.
Sian Pickard, business development manager at Flamingo, which supplies Tenderstem broccoli to Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, expects this rapid growth to continue. “We carried out trials in Ross-on-Wye with an asparagus grower last year, but it was not the best year for growers in general, and only a small production materialised, which went into M&S,” she told FPJ. “We hope to continue with the trials this year and hopefully we will see a higher production.
“For a new product on the market, Tenderstem broccoli is doing really well. I think this is because it has a point of difference; consumers can eat the whole of the vegetable and it is being treated as a special vegetable, in the same way as asparagus is. We are now pushing it out in prepared mixes; M&S has the Rainbow Stir Fry and Sainsbury’s has the Tender Green Medley.”
Last year, more than two million kilos of Tenderstem broccoli was sold in the UK, compared to just under 1m kilos in 2005.
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