Here at Unicorn we’ve always been privileged to have such a fantastic array of produce to write and shout about, and it’s a real pleasure to sing the praises of our growers and see their efforts fly off the shelves to satisfied customers. It’s also our responsibility to keep our customers informed, and for UK growers the current situation remains extremely difficult. (is tough!)
Rainfall continues to be the bane of the strawberry fields team. While they managed to get their planting of leeks, fennel and lettuce in before the weekend, 20ml of rain and a busy day cutting on Monday means the next plants will have to sit in the yard and wait for a few days of clear weather. If you’re picking up one of Pam’s fantastic lettuces this week and wondering if we left a hose running on top of them…well not quite, but do be careful popping them in your basket.
An unusually dull spring and cold northerly winds this week also continue to frustrate matters, with single digit night time temps meaning slow and patchy growth. While these crops sit in the ground not doing a whole lot, they are a prime opportunity for the slugs thriving in these wet conditions, disheartening growers even further. Supply of new kales, spinach and chard are starting to appear but in extremely limited quantities until conditions improve.
We’ve been getting asked a lot of questions over the last few weeks about new season potatoes, and the outlook for this season looks troubling. We’ll receive our first Orla and Colleen from Wynn Evans of Caerfai farm in Pembrokeshire this week, and talking to Wynn this morning spelled out just how difficult the situation is. Unable to plant in January as he normally would, Wynn’s crop didn’t make it into the ground until mid march. While the spuds he’s lifted so far have made a good size and are tasting good, his yields this year are down by a shocking 2/3rds. Supply elsewhere continues to be limited, and unfortunately for now their scarcity is reflected in their price as growers try to rescue lost earnings.
In more heartening news Pam Bowers new season bunched onions did make it through the winter and spring and are tasting fantastic along with her first crop of tunnel grown celery, and James Foskett’s vibrant new season bunched carrots are flying off the shelves.
