Demand for vegetables soars

DEMAND for vegetables has soared in the last year as more people cook meals from scratch during lockdown, a grower has said.

The popularity of veganism and plant-based events such as Meat Free Mondays and Veganuary have also contributed to the surge in sales of greens, according to Lincolnshire-based TH Clements.

The company, based near Boston, is one of the UK’s biggest growers of greens such as sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and spring greens and is a supplier to supermarket giant Tesco.

Tesco said that since the first lockdown in March last year, it has seen increases in its sales of vegetables against the previous year, with the highest increase in leeks, with demand up by more than 30%. It has also seen increases in sales of: cabbage, up nearly 25%; broccoli, up 20%; sprouts, up 10%; kale, up 10%; and spinach, up nearly 10%.

TH Clements spokesman Richard Mowbray said: “In the last year, sales of greens have particularly soared and we are working with Tesco to manage the extra demand.”

Joe Giddens > Workers harvest savoy cabbages at TH Clements near Boston , Lincs