Waitrose are reintroducing two Victorian vegetables to selected shops this Christmas as retro food proves a popular item with shoppers.
Fenland celery was a common vegetable to buy at Victorian Christmas markets, according to Waitrose, but has since lost favour with Christmas shoppers.
The heritage veg is grown in the flat deep fields of East Anglia using a traditional growing method called “earthing up”, using wide rows of deep trenches and peated soil banked up against the celery to protect it. This results in a whiter celery than usual, with a sweet and nutty flavour.
In 2013 it became the first English vegetable to be awarded a Protected Geographic Indication from the EU.
Another old staple, Salsify, will also go on sale at Waitrose, with two black varieties grown in Cambridgeshire hitting the shelves. The versatile vegetable has a unique flavour similar to a mild artichoke according to Waitrose, with hints of liquorice. A white salsify variety will also be on sale, grown in the sandy soils of Ayrshire, Scotland.
Gary Grace, vegetable buyer at Waitrose & Partners said: 'We are excited to be introducing both these Victorian vegetables to our range in a select number of our branches. Both Salsify and Fenland celery are largely forgotten vegetables that were favoured in Victorian England due to their versatility, especially during the winter months.
“Over recent years we have seen many of the traditional cuts of meat come back into favour and we hope that customers will feel the same about Salsify and Fenland celery and enjoy these vegetables once again.'
