What’s Barfoots’ involvement in sweetcorn?
Jon Barfoot (JB): Barfoots is the largest grower and processor of sweetcorn in the UK market with strong sales in retail, foodservice and the wholesale markets.
How much of the UK market do you supply?
JB: We supply around 80 per cent of the UK market throughout the year with peak volumes during the UK season.
What are UK self-sufficiency levels like on sweetcorn?
JB: During the UK season we offer 100 per cent of demand in British-grown crop. Our wider farming business ensures a healthy crop rotation with legumes in particular.
What are the big talking points in the world of sweetcorn?
JB: The market is in huge growth with volumes up over 30 per cent year-on-year. This means big movements in supply chains to make sure that this can be delivered 52 weeks seamlessly.
What is supply and demand like?
JB: The majority of our own supply is grown on our own farms in the UK and Senegal, and this makes our supply very consistent with both high quality and volumes.
Any growing or weather issues?
JB: The growing conditions have been a good start for the crops, with a good spring allowing us to get onto the fields early. The growing weather to date has been strong and our location allows for high levels of sunshine which sweetcorn needs. We expect a strong season this year.
What are prices like in the sweetcorn market?
JB: We have seen price deflation in the sweetcorn retail market, and sales volumes are up 30 per cent, driven through stronger price activity. Sweetcorn is a product that people pick up as a treat. It isn’t like traditional veg, which is either in the basket or not. Sweetcorn is something people buy as an exciting addition to a meal.
What innovations are you currentlyworking on?
JB: We have a lot of varietal work going on, looking for the next opportunity in both flavour and appearance. This ranges from different colours to superior sugar levels.
How are you targeting the next generation of consumers?
JB: We commission regular direct consumer research to tell us what the consumers are looking for, and we then go out of our way to deliver this. The success of restaurant chain Nando’s sweetcorn tells us that the next generation love sweetcorn, and that it is on trend with social eating and a healthy, natural lifestyle.
What do you predict will be the biggest change in the category over the next few years?
JB: Sales volumes are ever-increasing, and we expect to see this continue over the next few years as more and more consumers enter into the sweetcorn category. Sweetcorn has the ability to transcend a traditional British mealtime and deliver something that the whole family loves to enjoy.
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