neon cabbage

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Scarlette F1 - CN Seeds

Veg don’t get much more exotic than the neon pink Chinese leaf cabbage launched in the UK by Ely-based CN Seeds this summer. Set to hit salad packs next year, Scarlette F1 was developed by a small specialist breeder in Asia and boasts dark green-red outer leaves with intense red or pink-coloured heart leaves and a mild, peppery flavour. “Customer reaction has been very positive, particularly when the startling red inner leaves are revealed,” says CN Seeds commercial manager Craig Thomas.

Be warned, the following pages may make for uncomfortable reading. More than half a billion pounds has been wiped off supermarket fresh food, with veg suffering the greatest loss of the year, worth a staggering £317.6m.

First some good news: fruit is recovering after turning the £47.9m losses we reported a year ago into growth of £131.8m. Strawberries, raspberries and avocado are among the star performers the year. So what’s going on?

Veg is being used as a footfall driver, with margins being hammered down to breaking point. “Vegetables are something everyone buys, so they’re very competitively priced to encourage people into the store,” says Jack Ward, CEO of the British Growers Association.

Pile high, sell cheap is the name of the game. The average price of broccoli has fallen furthest, down 19.8%; pepper and carrot prices have dropped more than 14%; cucumber prices are down 12.3%; lettuce 10.7%. These veg have lost almost £150m combined.

But, crucially, lower prices have helped drive volumes. The same can’t be said of the humble spud: value sales have plummeted £122.9m (12%) as the mults have sold 7.9 million fewer kilos (1.2%) over the year.

This illustrates a worrying trend, says AHDB Potatoes consumer analyst Rebecca Hughes. Britain’s bestselling veg is out of fashion; Brits are dodging carbs; meat and two veg is passé. “Over half of fresh potato consumption is by over-45s,” she says. “The decline is most significant in the under-35s, where levels dropped 5% from 2002 to 2012.”

However, the decline of staple fruit & veg (see apples and bananas’ £50m loss as another example) is more exotic fare’s gain. “Sweet potatoes are continuing to grow in popularity,” says Steve Rudge, head of procurement for the wholesaler Reynolds.

Pink cabbage, Hispi kale and Tenderstem broccoli are also up, says Rudge. As is avocado, which is now Britain’s eighth bestselling fruit after value sales grew by a quarter. Experts say media coverage of avocados’ health benefits has helped drive growth.

For more good news, see the £76.5m growth of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. “Quality and availability have never been better,” says Rudge. Ward adds: “Strawberries are no longer just eaten as a luxury.”

TOP 10 Vegetables SALES
      £m change (£m) change (%)
Total volume change: 1.5% Total Category 4,646.30 –317.6 –6.4
    Total Own Label 4,493.00 –298.3 –6.2
1 1 Potatoes 904.8 –122.9 –12.0
2 2 Tomatoes 639.2 –28.2 –4.2
3 3 Mushrooms 314.5 –8.0 –2.5
4 4 Peppers 260.5 –37.5 –12.6
5 5 Carrots 214.6 –34.6 –13.9
6 6 Onions 214.6 –14.6 –6.4
7 7 Legumes 210.1 –0.1 0
8 8 Broccoli 172.6 –30.6 –15.1
9 9 Cucumber 165 –20.0 –10.8
10 10 Lettuce 151.9 –21.1 –12.2
TOP 10 Fruit SALES
      £m change (£m) change (%)
Total volume change: 3.0% Total Category 4,604.80 131.8 2.9
    Total Own Label 3,726.40 71.5 2
1 1 Apples 612.2 –17.2 –2.7
2 2 Grapes 601.4 1.3 0.2
3 3 Bananas 544.3 –32.8 –5.7
4 4 Strawberries 470.9 37.5 8.7
5 5 Clementines 278.8 22 8.5
6 6 Raspberries 220.3 33.5 17.9
7 7 Pears 156.5 –2.9 –1.8
8 10 Avocado 142 29.2 25.9
9 8 Melons 138.4 4.5 3.4
10 9 Oranges 132.7 1.6 1.2

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