There is no denying that the carrot has been elevated beyond being seen as a humble root crop. Nowadays it arrives in store in ever-expanding variations following the days when it was confined to being sold loose, in polybags or stew packs.

Young or maincrop, they are named by variety, bunched with feathery foliage, and trimmed to the point where they are like peas in a pod. The latest trend now includes a range of colours from black to gold in mixed packs, while last year as Halloween approached they made an appearance as “witches’ fingers”. Tesco has now come up with a baby version at £1.30 for 200g. Grown by Alan Barlett, they are little more than the size of a fingernail.

Staying with vegetables, Marks & Spencer has integrated Cavolo Nero into a new mix with curly kale at £1.29 for 160g, while Asda is offering British-grown pink curry onions at £1.76 for 1.5kg.

The winter citrus season is also underway at Asda, with Spanish Oronules in a raffia punnet complete with leaves at £2 for 700g, while more unusually mandarins are being recommended for juicing.

There are also signs of southern hemisphere stonefruit, with new season ready-to-eat Crystal Desire white-flesh nectarines appearing from Zimbabwe.

With the media giving considerable coverage to the European apple shortage, one can expect to see arrivals from lesser-known sources, and Tesco has Pinova from Slovenia.

There are also signs the world-famous Brogdale research station is becoming a brand in its own right, with M&S presenting Lord Lambourne in a Union Jack 500g kraft bag at £2.49.

Fresh herbs are also extending their range, with Lidl drawing its supplies of rosemary from Morocco at 59p for 25g.