Although more UK shoppers have entered the market, they are buying vegetables less often, perhaps because prices have increased. Hence the category is showing only modest growth, of 2.6 per cent in value and 1.3 per cent in volume, according to Kantar.
“The key drivers of growth have been an increase in penetration, as new consumers enter the market, which is welcome, and increased price per kilo driven by the impact of more imports due to shortages of UK crop,” says Mark Phillips, sales and marketing director at Produce World. “The most encouraging thing the data shows is that penetration has increased, with new households buying into vegetables that previously haven’t. This increase in repertoire is good news for the category and shows that there is room to expand vegetable consumption and secure future growth,” he adds.
Sophie Bambridge of Barfoots of Botley is concerned about the category’s mixed performance though. “There is volume decline in some key product areas such as potatoes but other areas have had buoyant growth, such as sweet potatoes and courgettes,” she explains. “Following a period of difficulty in vegetable sales overall we are starting to see some value growth driven by a combination of factors, with price inflation being a main driver, but it really remains a mixed bag depending on the product area.”
One product area that is struggling a bit is legumes, says Bambridge. “The legumes category in general is in decline at a rate of 2.2 per cent over 52 weeks. Broad beans have seen some growth, but this has been driven by price inflation. With the exception of fine beans, which have seen growth over both time periods, all other beans have seen variable growth over one and decline in the other. Peas have seen some decline too but this has been much more marked over 12 weeks compared to 52 and this has really been driven by garden peas, and both mangetout and sugar snaps are seeing good growth.”
The growth of mangetout, sugar snaps and fine beans point towards a trend for convenience, according to Bambridge. “The preparation of these legumes compared to garden peas and broad beans is much simpler. It could also be an indicator that outside of the ‘foodies’, many people are losing sight of seasonal veg.”
In terms of how retailers will respond, she thinks supermarkets should be getting behind these traditional products when in season, but says it is not always the case. “It doesn’t seem to be happening. In particular the bean crops can be quite ‘flushy’, so having flexibility in promotion and space activity to coincide with these flushes, which vary from season to season, would help to maximise yield for the grower as well as provide a good deal for the consumer.”
Price wise, Bambridge thinks this season has been more challenging than most, and her prediction for future seasons is that the current situation will continue. “I suspect that the trends we are seeing will continue in the same vein as we have been seeing the same thing for a few seasons now. We’re constantly searching for ways to reinvigorate the legumes category in relation to the traditional garden peas and beans, but we’ve yet to hit the winning formula.”
Someone who is also trying to find the winning formula, albeit for brassica, is Greville Richards, managing director of Southern England Farms. Although vegetables have been selling reasonably well due to the cold summer, price levels are not ideal, he says.
“It’s been a colder summer and we’ve noticed significantly higher orders throughout the summer. Sales have been buoyant for brassicas, as it’s more cost effective to buy a wholehead product than prepared veg. However, price levels are not where they should be. If you look at the overall brassica picture, there are only around 10 main suppliers nationwide, and a vast majority are making a one or two per cent profit. Some are making a loss. Long term that’s not sustainable.”
As a result, a lot of vegetable suppliers are looking to get into renewable energy, says Richards. He hasn’t yet but may look to do so in the future, he reveals. -
MUSHROOMING SALES
October is ‘the Month of Mushrooms’, according to a promotional campaign being run by industry body The Mushroom Bureau.
Lisa Kjellsson finds out more
Although mushrooms are available and tasty all year round, the products are best suited to popular autumnal dishes such as casseroles, stews and pies, of which the nation will be thinking of mastering such culinary delights in preparation for the winter.
Foodies, health-conscious cooks, vegetarians and mushroom fans alike are encouraged to try their hands at cooking the nutritional vegetables in dishes they perhaps wouldn’t usually consider or haven’t previously tried.
The Mushroom Bureau, which is responsible for the generic publicity of all fresh cultivated mushrooms sold in Britain, is working with Saturday Kitchen chef James Martin to communicate the benefits of eating mushrooms regularly.
Martin explains: “Mushrooms are a great ingredient to add to your favourite dishes. They are naturally low in fat, yet high in nutritional values, making them the perfect cooking vegetable, not to mention they taste delicious. I have developed some recipes guaranteed to offer the perfect mushroom dish.”
If the taste temptations of mushrooms aren’t enough to lure you, then consider the health benefits: Mushrooms are a natural source of B vitamins and minerals, with an 80g serving counting as one of your 5 A DAY.
For instance, they are a natural source of selenium, which is part of the body’s antioxidant defence system, and vitamin B5, which works in the body to help release energy from the food we eat.
To celebrate the Month of Mushrooms, hundreds of recipes can be found on moretomushrooms.com along with a free downloadable recipe booklet. A spokesperson from the Mushroom Bureau UK explains: “Our aim is to highlight just how versatile mushrooms are and to promote the nutritional benefits of the vegetable. In terms of performance, the mushroom category in the UK and Ireland is thriving.”
The mushroom category is growing at a rapid rate and is currently worth £364 million.
The Mushroom Bureau and its activities are funded mainly by mushroom growers and trade alliances to the industry in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. -
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