This week brings the first arrival of seed potatoes, and with it the promise of a new growing year for all allotmenteers out there. We’ve got Accent and Marfona in store and ready to chit, with more varieties arriving in the coming weeks.
Golden beetroot from Royal Oak and Strawberry Fields is radiating a mid-winter glow at the moment. Milder and sweeter than its red counterpart, it is delicious roasted. We’ve also got a great selection of kale varieties on offer from across the UK. There’s red and Russian from Francis Sampson down in Cornwall, Winter Wonderland from Strawberry Fields and green from Sneath in Lincolnshire.
Both the navel and blood oranges from Agricoop are tasting incredible, so too the kiwi fruits; grown in the carboniferous soil in the region around Mount Etna, they have a perfect balance of sweet and tang.
It’s been a tricky season for apples and pears across Europe and you’ll have noticed that varieties have been more scarce. Late frosts in May caused crop failure Europe-wide, particularly in areas such as Holland and Italy where we would normally source our apples once the UK season ends. We’re coming into our last few weeks of the UK supply several months ahead of last year and we’ll be moving onto a more limited, Southern-Hemisphere range sooner than usual; prices too will be reflecting the market scarcity. Fingers crossed this year’s harvest tells a different story…
