Root veg and apple sales rise in Waitrose

Sales of root vegetables and apples have received a boost at Waitrose as the hot summer appears to have come to an end.

In a brief trading update for the week ending 26 August, customer director Martin George reported that sales excluding fuel were down 2.2 per cent compared to last year's hot bank holiday.

Cooler temperatures saw customers opting for roasts rather than barbecue foods, with sales of root vegetables, gravy and Yorkshire puddings all rising.

There were also strong sales of apples over the week as shoppers supported British fruit coming into season, George added.