the impact of the recent deluge in the UK is now making its presence felt, particularly among brassicas on the supermarket shelves, to the point when, earlier this week, cauliflower seemed to be non-existent. Despite the various messages to customers advising that this is a temporary shortage, the famine is expected to last far longer, and lesser-known sources are already being brought into play.

Historically, the US has been at the forefront, and Sainsbury’s was selling loose heads of calabrese (or broccoli, if you prefer) straight out of wax-lined cartons flown in from Western Express in California, at £2.99 a kilo. And, while Waitrose was not discussing the exact source of the 300g wrapped pack of cauliflower or broccoli florets, at £1.99, it had also turned to Germany, as well as the US. Tesco, in the meantime, is sourcing its organic sweetheart cabbage from the Netherlands, at £1.28 each.

I expect we will also see some movement in the potato trade as, reading the British Potato Council’s weekly report, the situation seems to be moving from bad to worse, with up to half the crops in some areas being lost.

This, however, has not deterred the arrival at Tesco of a salad variety called Piccolo Star, grown in Wales by the The Real Potato Company, which is part of Branston. Described as golden, which makes a change from reds or whites, it is billed as a salad variety and in a very different livery presented in a yellow, pink and red pre-pack. And not to be outdone, I also came across another in the organic range, called Vales Emerald, at £1.29 for 750g.

What also caught my eye, and it is not hard to miss with its bold black and white lettering, is the makeover that pre-packed fresh herbs in the Waitrose Cook’s Ingredients range have received. Basil is described as “majestic”, tarragon as “tantalising”, dill as “delicate”, and rosemary as “romantic”, and so on.

Also on home ground, hail damage has not made it an easy time for our cherry growers, but there was still fruit getting through alongside US and Turkish product. It also seems that retailers are more aware of the instant appeal of the fruit, with packs getting larger. Sainsbury’s 700g of Ziraat, originally priced at £6.99, is on offer at £3.49.

Meanwhile, UK soft fruit is still getting through in volume, and it was encouraging to find gooseberries as large as Levellers, which used to be the pride of Newick, Sussex, at Sainsbury’s. They were proudly described as British, and were also carrying a Grown in Scotland label.

After hearing at Fruit Focus that the strawberry sector, now it has achieved volume, is looking at ways to segment, it appears that this is already underway. Marks & Spencer has provided another example of its Limited Edition range, following on from the lettuce described last month. This time it is a strawberry variety called Mara des Bois in a 200g punnet, for £2.99, grown in Kent by Stephen Holmes.

It is always worth keeping a watch on emerging apple varieties from the southern hemisphere, and I was not disappointed this week to find one in polybags called Eve, at £1.99, in Sainsbury’s. It is grown in New Zealand by the Heartland Group, near Nelson, according to the information, and is hand picked.

And finally, Tesco is stocking some very attractive, if not somewhat unusual, round, yellow courgettes (79p), sold loose. They drew a lot of attention but, despite the vegetable being well known, it was amazing how many confided they would not know how to cook them, and wondered what they tasted like! Harvesting still has a long way to go.