Tesco believes antioxidant-rich vegetable has become mainstay of festive roast, benefitting from rising demand for brightly coloured vegetables
Already an established favourite in certain other European countries, red cabbage has now “gatecrashed” the UK Christmas dinner, according to Tesco.
The retailer reported that in 2024 demand for the highly nutritious vegetable rocketed by 150 per cent year on year in the week of Christmas, with sales ramping up again this December.
“Christmas dinner always used to be about the traditional centrepiece, garnished with roast potatoes, carrots, sprouts and parsnips and maybe broccoli or cauliflower,” said Tesco buyer Simon Tenwick.
“The vegetable used to have a ‘Marmite’ type reputation which is probably linked to schoolkids being told to eat their cabbage, which was often boiled to death.
“Two years ago, we noticed a slight rise in demand for red cabbage, but last year sales really soared, so much so that we believe the vegetable has now become a mainstay of the festive feast.
“We’ve ordered in more this year as a result of the trend and also think that the delicious side dish may also become a staple with the traditional Sunday roast.”
The trend has meant extra income for UK brassica growers, and one of the UK’s biggest, Boston-based TH Clements, has increased its production volume by 20 per cent in 2025.
Celebrity chefs such as Mary Berry, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson have featured the vegetable in Christmas recipes.
The vegetable, which is related to broccoli, kale and sprouts, is packed with antioxidants, fibre and vitamins. But Tesco thinks there may also be another reason why the vegetable has suddenly become so popular.
In the past year, the supermarket chain has noticed rising demand for brightly coloured vegetables such as rainbow chard, rainbow carrots, purple sprouting broccoli, dark purple Cavolo Nero, and pink onions.
Demand for rainbow chard and pink onions was so strong this autumn that the supermarket has seen demand double compared to the same period a year ago.
Tesco believes the trend has also had an effect on Christmas dinner, with red cabbage adding extra colour to the plate.
TH Clements says red cabbage has become trendy with foodies and anyone seeking a nutritious and delicious side dish with their dinner. As a result of the trend, which picked up after lockdown, the company has sold 600,000 more cabbages than in 2023.
“Red cabbage is very much the vegetable of the moment, and to cater for the extra demand we’ve had to increase our planting programme by 20 per cent,” said TH Clements’ commercial director John Moulding.
“Sales have always been steady, and we’ve seen occasional spikes when the vegetable has featured in the recipes of TV chefs.
“But we’ve never seen such overwhelmingly strong demand for a single vegetable as we are seeing at the moment for red cabbage.”
The vegetable is a mainstay of the European Christmas dinner, especially in Germany, Denmark and Poland where it is served as a sweet and sour, slow-cooked side dish, braised with apples, onions, raisins and spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
