Seasonal squash is being promoted thanks to a new partnership between Veg Power, Barfoots, Waitrose and Sakata
British-grown Butternut is getting a promotional push thanks to a new tie-up between the Veg Power campaign, seed breeders Sakata, supplier Barfoots and retail partner Waitrose.
The campaign is timed to coincide with the peak British harvest – from mid-October to the end of the month – with an in-store presence at Waitrose and social media influencer content.
Content is designed to highlight how quick and easy Butternut squash is to prepare, challenging the perception that it’s difficult or time-consuming to cook.
British-grown Butternut squash at Waitrose will also feature a Union Jack sticker and the campaign hashtag #BetterWithButternut.
“We were really encouraged by the impact of last year’s Better with Butternut campaign, which helped more people discover and enjoy this fantastic vegetable,” said Veg Power chief executive, Dan Parker.
“We saw a significant uplift in the number of households choosing butternut squash. And importantly, many continued eating it even after the campaign ended.”
Managing director at Sakata, Stuart Cox, said: “After many years of development work behind the scenes it is great to see British butternuts performing so well in the field at Barfoots and on the shelves at Waitrose.
“We know this new variety performs for both growers and consumers delivering yield and quality with excellent eating properties. Working together with Veg Power and Barfoots is a great fit as we are all inspired to promote healthy eating of sustainably grown British Butternuts.”
Brand and marketing manager at Barfoots, Kim Barfoot-Brace, said: “We’ve been providing Butternuts grown in warmer climates for decades, so it’s really exciting to now be able to grow at scale on our UK farm.
“We’re really proud to be partnering with Veg Power, Sakata and our long-term customer Waitrose to help encourage more families to discover and enjoy this sustainably grown wonder veg.”
