Waitrose has flexed its trunk by stocking a new heavyweight product: Elephant Garlic.
The garlic, technically member of the leek family, has been sourced from the foot of the Andes near Mendoza in Argentina.
The supersized garlic bulbs are the size of oranges - and a single clove is nearly as big as a whole bulb of standard garlic product.
The product hit 228 Waitrose stores nationwide last week, priced at £1.99 a bulb and supplied by Moulton Bulb. Supplies are expected to be available for the next 10-12 weeks.
Its debut at Waitrose follows a 24 per cent upturn in the amount of standard fresh garlic bought by the supermarket’s shoppers during 2010, thanks in part by promotional use by Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith.
Moulton Bulb director Robert Oldershaw told FPJ: “It is much milder than normal garlic and considerably juicier. It is not supposed to be used as garlic substitute and can even be used raw, thinly sliced into salads.”
Waitrose fresh produce buyer Peter Cooke said: “In the last couple of years fresh garlic has sold very well at Waitrose and it is certainly becoming much more of an everyday purchase.
“Many shoppers now routinely buy standard garlic and they are looking for something a bit different.
"Our decision to sell these Elephant Garlic bulbs shows that garlic is going mainstream in British home cooking.”
A bulb of Elephant Garlic stands around 11cm high including the stem and is up to 10cm in diameter.
It takes around nine months from planting for them to slowly mature and grow big enough to be harvested.
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