The term “super fruit” seems to be on the wane, but Marks & Spencer has regenerated the idea with a new Super Green Salad Bowl at £2.50 for 135g, which alongside a lemon and basil dressing contains courgettes (37 per cent), mangetout (14 per cent), multileaf green butterhead lettuce, rocket, edamame, soya beans, sunflower seeds and pea shoots.

Meanwhile, perhaps the time will come when multiples change the general descriptive colours of fruit by common consent, as the historic nomenclature has moved on. Listening to shoppers in the same store attracted by the displays of English cherries, several wondered why they were described as red, when the varieties concerned were as black as boot polish. The varieties in question were British Regina at £3.99 for 400g, reduced from £7.99 and sharing space with US Sweetheart, selling at the same price.

Meanwhile, more and more grapes are arriving in the Just Discovered range, following Tuttifrutti and Mango as reported in FPJ. There are now 500g punnets of Spanish Magenta at two for £4. A more unusual source is Midnight Beauty from Portugal.

While British strawberries are still plentiful, this time of the year has given the opportunity for fruit grown north of the border to find a slot at Sainsbury’s. There is no mistaking the source of Sonata at £2 for 400g, with the national flag displayed on the pack.

UK vegetable growers continue to become more involved with lesser-known varieties beyond the stir fry Chinese range. One of the latest, which is probably unknown to most of the public shopping at Morrisons, is Mibuna at 69p a bunch.

One crop historically gathered wild is samphire, although it is in increasing in commercial production, with the crop at Tesco coming from France. -

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