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 […]

Boldly British recyclable packaging on vine tomatoes hits the mark for M&S

M&S has given its British Collection vine tomato packaging a beautiful and more sustainable upgrade, switching from plastic sleeves to a recyclable cardboard format. The new covers feature an open look at the tomatoes on top, with a much smaller film footprint, while the rest of the package is wrapped in the sustainable material and […]

EU’s plan to go green will boost innovation, but costs will rise, too

Companies and citizens of the European Union (EU) will not be able to escape the fact that there is no such thing as a free lunch and there are costs to “greening” the union. The European Green Deal is the name of the EU’s overarching policy that aims to make the EU climate neutral in […]

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 […]

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 […]

Shipping containers around a fifth less productive than pre-Covid

Antwerp port access blocked as ship runs aground

Congestion across global supply chains has meant shipping containers are an estimated 15% to 20% less productive than in pre-Covid-19 times, according to Drewry’s recently published Container Census & Leasing Annual Review & Forecast 2022/23 report. Drewry estimates that each container averaged 18.1 lifts in 2021 compared with 19.2 in 2020 and between 19.5 and 20.6 in […]