The Chilean Hass Avocado Association (CHAA) is looking forward to hosting its second Avocado Week in the UK, with a whole host of celebrations planned to promote Chilean avocados.
The drive kicks off next Monday (25 October) with what the organisers claim will be the world’s first Tweetalong cookery demonstration on Tuesday.
The Tweetalong, which takes place at a secret location in London at 7pm, involves a cook-off between chefs Thomasina Miers and Tom Parker-Bowles, who will prepare their favourite avocado recipes head-to-head for followers on Twitter.
For the third year running Ms Miers is serving as the UK spokesperson for the Chilean Hass avocado campaign.
As part of her role Ms Miers has developed a series of recipes using Hass avocados and next week will host the annual Avocado Brotherhood lunch for industry representatives at her Wahaca restaurant in the Westfield centre, London.
The UK-based Avocado Week takes place on 25-31 October. Activities include editorial articles and recipes published in magazines and on websites, as well as a programme of in-store initiatives in supermarkets.
Once again, the CHAA is running its ‘Avocado Ambassador’ programme at the UK’s main catering colleges, featuring a series of lectures on choosing, storing, using and preparing avocados.
The campaign is supported by a UK website deliciousavocados.com, which is shared with the Peruvian Hass Avocado Producers Association (ProHass), which promotes Hass avocados in Europe from Peru during the summer.
CHAA will also promote Chilean Hass avocados in the US, Canada, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Germany this season.
Export-wise, the (CHAA) expects a total of around 115,000 tonnes of Hass avocados will be exported this year, approximately 40 per cent down on last year’s bumper crop.
According to the association, the fall is mainly the result of alternate bearing (30 per cent) when avocado trees yield less after producing a large crop, but also in part (10 per cent) due to frost damage to groves.
Shipments to Europe have begun, with approximately 25 per cent of the first 7,000 tonnes destined for the UK market.
“This year’s crop of Chilean Hass avocados will be significantly lower than the bumper volumes we produced last season,” explained Adolfo Ochagavía, CHAA president.
“However, we have good quality fruit for export and will continue to prioritise key markets such as the UK.
“Our promotional drive to raise awareness and consumption of avocados in the British market is ongoing, with activity geared towards increasing both penetration and frequency of purchase during the season for Chilean Hass avocados.”
The Chilean Hass avocado season runs from September through to February. Production extends across the South American country from La Serena, in the north, to the town of Peumo, in the south.
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