Asda supplier English Village Salads has started supplying home-grown Little Gem lettuce into selected Yorkshire stores.
The number-two retailer is claiming to be the first major supermarket to get British Little Gem onto its shelves this year, as part of its commitment to buy British whenever and wherever possible.
The variety, gown by Yorkshire-based Snaith Salad grower Ian Clough, has been specifically developed by Enza Zaden to withstand UK winter conditions in frost-protected, non-heated greenhouses.
The lettuce, which has been in development since 2006, has the exact same characteristics as a traditional open field crop.
Lisa Bowker, EVS materials manager, presented the first few heads to the Asda store in Bradford. She said: “We have started to supply into Asda’s Wakefield depot this week, with the first heads from this year’s crop.”
Asda salad buyer Andy Wareham said: “More and more of our customers are telling us they want to be able to buy British fruit and veg wherever possible, so we are delighted to be the first to give them the chance to buy not only British Little Gem, but ones that have actually been grown locally in Yorkshire.”
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