Crop Report

There are currently transport strikes in Italy, which could delay produce from that area over the coming days. The well-documented civil unrest in Europe could also add some additional complications and we are working with our logistics partners to try to minimise the impact on customers.

Brazilian supply continues to face significant disruption due to severe shipping delays, which are still affecting programme movement and overall availability. Suppliers are bringing in additional fruit from alternative origins to help bridge gaps, but market volumes remain extremely limited and are expected to stay under pressure in the short term. Periods of shortage are likely until new fruit arrives and schedules stabilise.

We are working closely with suppliers and logistics partners to maximise continuity wherever possible, but conditions will remain challenging until fresh arrivals begin to ease pressure and restore more reliable flow through the supply chain.

The market remains difficult as supply transitions away from the Netherlands and into new season crops. We are seeing some easing within our own supply chain thanks to strong grower support in challenging conditions, but overall pressure remains high.

Plum, beef and cherry tomatoes continue to face significant strain, and these lines are likely to stay difficult over the coming weeks as programmes move into winter. We are working closely with suppliers to minimise disruption and protect customer availability, but conditions will require careful management through the transition.

Availability is improving slightly, but both supply and quality will remain under pressure for the next couple of weeks. Crops are showing shorter shelf life and more visible quality challenges, and these issues are expected to persist in the near term. Suppliers are working closely with us to support continuity, but conditions are likely to stay difficult until new season production begins in early November.

Produce is generally in a much better position following improved growing conditions over recent weeks. However, some challenges remain, with crops tending to come through on the smaller side of specification and pest pressure still affecting certain lines. Cavolo nero is currently the most impacted, with pest damage significantly reducing available volumes. We are working closely with suppliers to source additional product, but gaps are likely as pressure continues.

While there are no current availability issues, quality concerns on South African lemons remain, particularly on smaller sizes, as the effects of earlier flooding are still influencing crop performance across the main growing regions.

To support continuity and improve quality, we are maximising supply across our grower base and bringing in additional volume from Argentina to reinforce the smaller lines. We have agreed a slightly earlier start to the Spanish season, which will add stability as the transition approaches.

The transition to Spain is well under way, with first deliveries already arriving. It is still very early in the season, so volumes are not yet at full capacity. While some UK availability remains, this is a tricky period, where short term challenges may occur on Little Gem and Cos as the changeover progresses. Iceberg volumes remain stable, and we are working closely with growers to minimise disruption and keep programmes running smoothly.

You can’t beet British! Our British beetroot is grown in Wiltshire and is harvested during late summer. It grows and stores well, meaning that we can enjoy great British produce all year round.

Availability remains satisfactory as we transition to Dutch supply, with British volumes naturally declining in the colder weather. However, the short Netherlands season is expected to finish earlier than usual, creating a gap before the Moroccan season is ready. This is likely to result in significant market wide shortages. To maintain continuity, we will be sourcing additional volume from the United States to support availability until Morocco is fully up and running.