Shediterranean diet
Allotment growers ditch traditional veg for ‘trendy’ produce
MEDITERRANEAN chillies, peppers and courgettes are replacing humble leeks, carrots and lettuce on our allotments. The change is being driven by warmer temperatures and younger growers keen to rustle up exotic dishes from celebrity chefs. Garlic and shallots are ousting onions, rocket is preferred to iceberg lettuce while corn and squash are driving out peas and carrots. A study by online marketplace Sproutl found cabbage growing has plummeted 55% while pak choi is up by 15%. Sprouts are down by 27% with kale soaring 28%. French climbing beans are now preferred to broad beans while sweetcorn is up 40% and radicchio 15%. Sproutl’s Hollie Newton said: “Our diet is changing dramatically. “We’ll whip up a vegan curry one night and bangers and mash the next. What we grow is naturally evolving to suit our new appetites.” ruki.sayid@mirror.co.uk