Wholesale prices are at a 25-year high, with weather conditions and a fluctuating euro at the heart of the issue, according to traders.

John Leavey of Booth’s at Borough Market in London said: “I have never seen anything like this in 25 years of trading. With people being made redundant, frozen food is bound to benefit. It is very hard to afford produce at the moment if you are on the dole.”

Prices have seen a 40-50 per cent increase in the last three weeks as the effects of bad weather in Italy, France and Spain hit the UK, with cucumbers seeing rises of up to 600p per box of 12s, increasing to 1500p. Italian blood oranges have rocketed in price from 1600p to 2200p a box on this period last year.

Chris Hutchinson, president of the Fresh Produce Consortium’s wholesale division, agrees that conditions are hard, but there are opportunities to be had for the trade too.

He said: “It is tough going for our retail market customers as they are having to go very expensive on lines such as tomatoes, cucumbers and iceberg lettuce, when their business is built on freshness, expertise and value for money. But the supermarkets have had to put their prices up too.”

Hutchinson believes that the strength of wholesalers’ relationships with their suppliers come to the fore in such circumstances. He said: “At times like this, when produce is hard to come by, they take care of us, and when they have oversupply, we help them out. This is what the whole business is about... there are opportunities for us.” l

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