Retail descriptions to market fresh produce have always fascinated me, no more so than in the tomato sector where varieties, sub brands, sizes, shapes and colours abound.

Just how far this might go is open to debate, but M&S has a new arrival with its exclusively grown Super Sweetini from Lancashire at £2.29 for 220g. They are described as “incredible”.

Meanwhile, many customers must be indebted to Morrisons, which has very clear signage defining the attributes of vine, plum, beef, Marzano, pigeon, cherry, salad and Marmande. And just to add to the range, there are what are defined as Heirloom tomatoes, all mixed together and sold loose at 50p for 100g.

Staying with salads, the range of lettuce continues to grow, and in the same store there is a British-grown pack quantified simply as Multi Leaf at £1. There are also Tinkerbell peppers from the Netherlands at 35p each, which are heralded as sweeter than the traditional bell types.

Sainsbury’s has added to its prepared range with a new sweet herb variation. Apart from being ‘Ready to Eat’ and ‘Washed in Spring Water’, it is indicative that trademarked varieties are making progress. The contents include mainly Salanova Red and Green Butterhead, alongside Sweet Oak Rocket comprising 20 per cent, and three per cent each of parsley and chives.

The concept of Eat Me, Keep Me is mainly associated with bananas of differing levels of ripeness, and more recently includes pears at Tesco.

It has now extended the idea to vegetables too. A new 200g twin pack at £1.25 is on the shelf, which contains florets of cauliflower and broccoli sourced from the UK and Spain. One wonders what will come next. -

Topics