Shelves continue to burst with summer fruit at present and full marks to English cherry growers for putting up some really excellent-quality fruit. I hope the authors of an article in the national media this week that spoke of the industry being in decline will change their opinion.

New UK blackberry varieties are also looking good and I note that English blueberries grown by the long-serving Trehane family are now categorised as being grown in Dorset.

Although the trend for increasing production on this side of the Channel continues, such is the popularity of this superfruit that there is still a ready market for product from many other sources. German fruit had a foothold in Lidl this week, with a 150g punnet for £1.68.

The stonefruit category is resplendent with plenty of peaches and nectarines, but for something different, doughnut-shaped varieties, which originally came from the US, are now being grown on the continent. Usually associated with peaches, Spain has come up with a Perfectly Ripe pack of four doughnut nectarines priced at £2.99, on sale at Marks & Spencer.

Easy peeler is a term normally associated with soft citrus, but M&S has also adopted this description for Navel oranges from Australia (see last week’s FPJ, p4). The shelf barker bore the message: “We only sell Navel oranges all year round because they have the best flavour.” The offer at present is a twin pack priced at £1.49. And while bananas are still one of the few fruits that proudly bear international brand stickers, M&S is championing its own-brand black and white roundel on loose fruit, priced at 89p/kg.

Sprouts - somewhat unfairly - come in for their fair share of criticism as one of the least popular green vegetables, usually during the winter. However, there is clearly still a core of consumers out there who enjoy them. Even during the summer, imports are still arriving on the shelves. In the past, Australia and Kenya seem to have been the main sources for this vegetable, but others are now emerging. Asda has turned to Morocco, which is providing some excellent samples of the trimmed version, with 250g packs priced at £1 during its major Roll Back campaign.

What caught my eye in Asda’s salad section was the space given over to baby plum tomatoes under the Good Natured salad label at £1.04. The heart-shaped logo proclaiming the contents to be pesticide-free is appealing to the public - although listening to shoppers, there still seems to be some confusion over whether they are organic.

There are, however, some very clear messages on baby cut carrots, which carry the Bolt House Farm brand and are priced at £1.50 for 454g. Years ago, carrots enjoyed the benefit of wartime propaganda, attributing them with an ability to improve night-time eyesight. In the modern, health-conscious world, the clear message is “powerful antioxidants inside”.

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