Although it may seem like just five minutes since the end of summer, Christmas is fast approaching, and with it comes the news on those all-important Christmas trends.
Nuts are a well-established favourite at this festive time of year as are the ubiquitous Brussels sprouts and turkey ñ indicative of food choices that continue to lean towards the traditional. But let's not forget the traditional embellishments for the home ñ after all there can be few who can resist the lure of holly, flowers or just a well-dressed tree. This year though, instead of the benefits of a real tree, it appears that many are opting for plastic.
“We're seeing a battle between real and plastic,” says Keith Richmond, chairman of Snowgreen Christmas Trees, “with increasing numbers of households opting for the plastic version. When you consider the consequences of making a plastic tree compared to the benefits of what is effectively a crop, the results are pretty disastrous.”
The problem is that people think Christmas trees are grown in a forest that is cut down early ñ but that's not the case. The trees grow for 10 years during which time they support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases, emitting fresh oxygen which in turn prevents the greenhouse effect.”
They may be far less environment-friendly, but it seems that the public is turning to plastic trees in droves. Richmond describes such trees as fashion items, destined to spend the end of their years in landfill sites. “But they're making them bigger and better every year so people throw them away and buy new ones,” he concedes, “which is a real problem considering that artificial trees are replaced every six to nine years.”
Fortunately there are still people who prefer the real thing although Richmond believes that the public is becoming far more sophisticated in its tastes. “Up until 1979 it was not even possible to import trees into the UK, apart from the one that went to Trafalgar Square,” he says, “but now that's not the case and people are much more aware of what's available in terms of varieties.”
This year will see the continuation of a trend towards the ever-popular Nordman variety ñ a tree that holds its needles for longer. “There's been a gradual shift in the last 10 years towards Nordman but the trend has become much more noticeable in the last two or three years,” he says, “Nordman is replacing Noble Fir as the tree of choice ñ which is quite expensive to grow, but also quite majestic.”
Christmas trees are not the only Christmas line with a battle on its hands. The UK's Brussels sprout industry is now appealing to growers and packers across the country to make donations to enable the spread of publicity and promotion. “The industry is trying to help itself, but it does need money for its campaigns,” says grower Roger Welberry. The UK is one of the largest sprout growers in Europe and the industry is worth more than £30 million. “We don't want to lose it,” he adds.
The good news is that consumption of this much-maligned vegetable is on the up. “We've done very well so far this year,” says Welberry. “Orders have been better than this time last year and the quality of produce has been good. The tonnage is down on last year though because of the drought. In Lincolnshire we've had very little rain for the past two months so the yield is low, but we're getting on ok. We've already sold more sprouts than last year, but there have been more aphids and insects around because of the hot weather.”
Undoubtedly sprouts have undergone something of a makeover in the past few years and there is little doubt that their image with consumers has improved. The strong, bitter flavour of the sprouts of old has been replaced by nutty, modern varieties and, says Welberry, any size differences are now graded out by the supermarkets.
There is still a market for all sized sprouts ñ smaller produce ranging from zero-25mm known as button sprouts go to the catering trade and for freezing while the 25-30mm and 30-35mm are the standard sizes for supermarkets. Most wholesale markets prefer larger sizes ñ so it seems that all eventualities are covered.
Another reason for the increase in popularity must be attributed to the tireless work of the British Sprout Association which has been tirelessly plugging the health benefits of sprouts in the last few years. “They're one of the healthiest vegetables you can get,” says Welberry, “and they can be used in numerous ways. Grate them raw or put them in salads, or you can stir-fry or steam them, they're hugely versatile.”
Christmas wouldn't be the same without a handful or two of nuts and while the festive holidays are a traditionally a time for nuts in their shells, things may be changing. “Last year the Brazil nut in the shell was a complete debacle,” says Tony Ayre, director of Paragon Foods, explaining that mould growth afflicted the nuts to such an extent they had to be taken off the shelves. “In a normal year, mould growth can be eradicated but last year it was rife and a lot of importers were caught out. A lot of them have washed their hands of it this year ñ nuts in their shell will be around but they will be much more expensive.”
In addition to their expense, Ayre believes that nuts in their shells are a dying trade. “They have been in decline for a while,” he says, “because no-one gets excited about them anymore. I trace the decline back to central heating ñ as soon as that happened, no-one had anywhere for their shells to go.”
Pistachio nuts however, have undergone a surge of popularity in recent times. November to February is the peak time of consumption, says Hamid Moaven, European representative of the Rafsanjan pistachio producers co-operative in Iran.
Iran is the world's largest producer with 60 per cent of the globe's production but California, Turkey, Syria, Greece and Italy all grow significant amounts.
If last year's Brazil nuts were affected by disease, this year's pistachio crop will certainly bear the brunt of the hot weather ñ with the crop expected to be substantially reduced.
“We've had a hot summer right across the world,” Moaven explains, “and this has affected production. The formation of the nuts takes place throughout spring and summer but because of the heat, we've had a high percentage of closed-shell this year. Basically, the kernel has to grow large enough to break the shell, but the heat has arrested the growth.”
Pistachio's aren't alone in suffering from this problem. Moaven explains that the same principle applies to other shell nuts so there will be other lines in which a reduction can be expected.
For the main part, pistachio nuts are shipped in their raw state and then roasted and salted at their destination. But it's not just the heat that has affected this season's volumes.
“This year will also experience reduced crops because pistachio trees are alternate bearing,” Moaven explains. “In 2002, 427,000 mt were produced globally but for this year because in both Iran and the US there will be alternate bearing years, we expect 40 per cent less, and prices, undoubtedly will be sky-high.”
While consumption of pistachio nuts in the UK is increasing there is still room for improvement. “UK consumption is around 500,000mt,” says Moaven. “But we have to make people understand that it's a very healthy product. Pistachios are low in saturated fats, have little cholesterol, and like almonds and walnuts for instance are a good, healthy, natural product. The kernel is untouched by machine or chemicals until you eat it and it can be consumed in countless ways. It can be eaten raw without roasting and it keeps well. Pistachios can be added to salads and in various different foods and of course ñ they're absolutely delicious.”
Christmas would not be much of a celebration without some form of decoration for the home and apart from holly and mistletoe, flowers are becoming an increasingly popular choice. Available in a wealth of festive colours and varieties, blooms are a relatively cheap way to decorate the home.
This year Max Havelaar's accredited farms has introduced a new range of roses in festive colours ñ look out for Igloo ñ a snow-white variety and Magic Carpet ñ a bright red colour which join Krypton (green), Bixa (terracotta) and Samoa in orange. Good quality roses are ideal for the season's latest trend “Contained Spaces' where all colours take on equal importance. Panda® roses have one of the largest colour ranges grown in Kenya to offer florists in the coming months, and are available in lengths up to 70cms.
The new FT range will complement the intermediates from the Prophyta range such as the popular Royal Prophyta, Candid Prohyta and Cream Prophyta. Panda® roses also have the added advantage of staying fresh and giving the end-user the benefit of extended vase-life.
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