Blistering heat scorching fruits and vegetables across UK

The UK heatwave has caused fruit and vegetables to die on the vine as growers fear the drought and further hot temperatures could ruin harvests this year. Fruit and vegetable suppliers have been counting their losses after record temperatures in July caused crops to fail, according to a report by The Guardian. “It’s not just fruit […]
Is variety specification crucial for category growth in foodservice?

I recently attended two events where speakers focused on the importance of variety-specific traits in produce that have an impact on consumer preference and liking. Some traits focus on visual aspects like size, shape or color, while others focus on the eating experience, including aroma, taste and texture. At each event, speakers asked the audience […]
Record heat leads to severe drought conditions in UK, Europe

As another heatwave hits the European continent, drought conditions and water scarcity in several regions are reducing crop yield and affecting energy production. A staggering portion of Europe is currently exposed to warning (44% of EU+UK) and alert (9% of EU+UK) drought levels, associated with soil moisture deficit in combination with vegetation stress, according to […]
Research Perspective and Analysis: E-Commerce: Friend and foe

At the onset of the pandemic, grocery e-commerce jumped forward about five years on its natural growth trajectory. It was the full growth trifecta: more people, more trips and greater spending online. Fresh produce partook, but not to the same extent as center store grocery — a gap that still exists. Across all food and […]
Chunky guacamole makes UK debut in Costco stores

Westfalia Fruit and Costco UK have been working closely together to successfully introduce Chunky Guacamole to Costco’s UK stores. Westfalia’s Chunky Guacamole is sourced from Hass avocados, naturally grown in the African sunshine to develop the full and unique buttery avocado flavor. This guacamole which is full of natural goodness and health benefits, contains four whole avocados, along […]
Fueled by new growing methods, Apricots show massive rebound in UK

The biggest crop of apricots in a decade is coming to UK supermarkets this year, according to a new report from Tesco. The retailer predicts that it will see some 250 tonnes of the fruit this year, a stunning turnaround over the past 10 years when volume was a paltry 40 tonnes from a “handful […]
UK supermarkets primed for another strong cherry season

This year’s bumper crop of cherries, said to be 40% more than in 2021, have begun robustly hitting the shelves at supermarkets across the UK. More than 6,000 tonnes of the delicious stemmed fruit will be in stores through the end of September, according to new data from trade association Love Fresh Cherries. “This year’s […]
Global Grape Summit preview: There’s much more to grapes than buying and selling

Each year at The New York Produce Show and Conference, we bring in students from various universities who, we hope, will be interested in careers in produce. They have come from as far away as the University of Gastronomic Sciences, located in Pollenzo, Italy, Harper Adams University in the UK and as near as Cornell […]