Reawakening consumer understanding of seasonality could help boost British produce sales and incentivise growers to diversify into other crops that suit UK conditions, writes founder of procurement group Regency Purchasing, Alex Demetriou, as British Food Fortnight kicks off
Decades ago, everyone would get excited about strawberry season. Families would look forward to going somewhere local together pick the fruit and then enjoy eating it.
It would become an occasion, an event – and a taste – that would be eagerly anticipated, enjoyed while in season, and then looked forward to again; it can really make food fun, again.
But that sense of occasion has been lost. Today, we expect to be able to have things like strawberries all year round, so they are imported, which adds considerably to the carbon footprint and damage to the environment.
When it comes to seafood, with mussels for example, seasonality is both fully understood and accepted, so we would like to see this spread to other produce, so that we fully value quality, seasonal and local food.
Without behavioural change, many farms have relatively few harvests left, which could lead to even more imports which would be even more damaging to local producers and the planet.
Worryingly, in DEFRA’s Farmer Opinion Tracker for England published in July, farmers on 39 per cent of holdings said they would stay farming but diversify business into non-farming areas.
There are solutions, but we just need to embrace them, starting with strategic support from the government, and some significant consumer education.
Restaurants, hotels and pubs can become more creative in the way they present their menus. We are capable of growing so many different foods in this country, but we don’t because we do not consume them.
Go back to the strawberry example – what is the incentive at the moment for farmers to grow different types of fruit in the winter, when they are not consumed and we rely on imported goods instead?
What does a brunch menu look like today without avocado on it? Is anyone brave enough to not put them on the menu to avoid the food miles required to put them on consumers’ plates?
There is a tremendous opportunity here to be creative with menus, introduce new produce, and return to the joy of seasonal food as a family occasion – it’s an opportunity which should be taken with both hands because of the many benefits.
Earlier this month, it was reported that an NFU survey found that 92 per cent of the public feel it is important that Britain has a productive farming sector, with 89 per cent also saying British farms should grow as much food as possible.
The UK currently imports almost half of the food it consumes overall, with around 84 per cent of fruit being imported, with ‘meeting consumer demand’ and ensuring a ‘consistent supply of fresh produce’ cited as among the main reasons.
But, as the NFU survey suggests, perhaps there is now a public appetite for change, a return to the ‘seasonal’ joys of eating home-grown produce, and a move to introducing other home-grown items to fill those ‘seasonal’ gap.
