If you happen to know a New Zealander living in this country, the theory is that he or she will soon be off to their local Sainsbury’s in anticipation of a treat.

To be more precise, they will find kumara, a sub-tropical sweet potato with a history stretching back over several centuries as a basic part of the Maori diet and now the country's third most popular vegetable.

Obviously with this in mind UK importer Barfoots of Botley last year convinced Sainsbury’s to have a trial run in selected stores. Results have seen the programme expanded this summer.

I will be intrigued to see how it progresses.

These types of tuber, which include US sweet potatoes - trialed two years ago in the UK by Barfoots - yams and others like chioca, launched by Exotic Farm Produce at New Zealand House in London several years ago, are rarely appealing to the eye.

Aside from being largely unknown, most tend to be unattractively bulbous and in fact compete with the more humble baking potato. Which brings me on to Barfoots’ plan.

Like the best marketing ideas, the plan is simple and a consequential combination of common-sense, enthusiasm and a strand or two of luck.

As the kumara comes on stream in more stores Barfoot's has taken ads in the NZ/UK media which provides news from home read by homesick Kiwis. Theoretically, spreading the message in this way should trigger both the taste buds and a patriotic reaction - and eventually get the Kiwis from behind the London bars and into Sainsbury’s aisles.

For the uninitiated the kumara also scores as it is available in a range of colours - red, gold and orange - each of which have a different taste.

And the commercially minded would be interested to know that kumara can be stored for up to 10 months and as it cures, cuts, bruising and skinning mysteriously disappear.

On another front, browsing through the Journal two weeks ago, I was interested in the item on peeled citrus fruit.

The idea is not new. There was great interest in the process when it first appeared in the UK in the days of Albert Fisher, who I believe bought the process from scientists in Florida,

Surprisingly it never seemed to take off, and appeared again at SIAL where the South African citrus industry was equally enthusiastic, but apparently achieved the same result.

The latest move 20 year later by Amercit however uses a new process, by removing the enzyme which destroys the skin, rag and pips within 15 minutes. Apparently the previous method did not take this into account and fruit literally disintegrated.

With an eye on the foodservice market it is now being tested on avocados and melons. Meanwhile, I am told Citrus Gold segments will soon be appearing in Marks & Spencer.

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