‘Wonky’ veg delivery company rescue thousands of pumpkins and squashes rejected by retailers after heatwaves cause cosmetic defects
Surplus veg box scheme Oddbox has rescued 14,400 pumpkins that have been rejected by UK retailers for being too small.
The company has also rescued 20,000kg of kabocha squash, 7,800kg of butternut squash and 7,275 Crown Prince squashes.
This year’s pumpkin and squash harvest has been affected by the extreme weather conditions across the UK this summer, with prolonged heat and drought producing undersized pumpkins that do not meet supermarket spec.
The abnormal growing conditions also caused early ripening at the start of September, which raised questions over whether crops would hold until Halloween.
However the summer’s conditions also benefited the crop, with growers reporting good quality and little sign of disease or pest pressure.
Oddbox said the sizing of crops in every region has been affected, with the company working with growers from Worcestershire to Sussex.
The company has also been working “with more squash growers than ever” to rescue produce from fields.
This summer, the company prevented 6,000 heads of sunburnt cauliflower going to waste, as well as others such as Pak Choi, cucumbers and courgettes from going to waste after heatwaves caused cosmetic defects.
The company also added that while around 22 million pumpkins are thrown away each Halloween, which is worth roughly £32mn, many never leave the farm.
Celebraing its 10th anniversary, the company has rescued a total of more than 68,000 tonnes of fruit and veg across the last decade.
