Crop Report

Now a standout customer favourite since its introduction last year, our Lancashire-grown frisée — or curly endive — provides exceptional structure, freshness and a distinctive alternative to rocket. Grown in optimal soil conditions, it brings effortless lift and texture to salads. The British season runs from May through October.

With the winter season drawing to a close, we are seeing the typical late-season quality challenges. The combination of an ageing crop and recent weather volatility — moving rapidly from high temperatures to heavy rainfall — is contributing to these issues. Supply is tight, and we are working with growers to navigate the final weeks of the season. Early new-season product is now starting to come through, but a full
transition will take several weeks.

Severe storms and flooding across key South African growing regions have restricted access to orchards and damaged local infrastructure. Strong winds at Cape Town port have also contributed to shipping delays. 

Harvesting was delayed for around three weeks but is underway again. However, growers are assessing any longer term impact. The greatest pressure is expected on easy peelers and lemons. 

Availability is likely to remain tight until late July or early August, and we are monitoring quality closely, as excess water can increase susceptibility to defects. We will continue to work with suppliers to maintain consistent supply and keep you updated.

Transitions to new-season British crops are well underway, which should help improve consistency and ease current supply pressures. British volumes of sweetheart cabbage, Savoy, curly kale and broccoli have now started harvesting, and all lines are expected to complete their move to UK supply over the next fortnight.

To support availability as the new season establishes, made more challenging by the recent extreme weather, weight concessions remain in place for cauliflower (with no change to diameter), Savoy cabbage and sweetheart cabbage. Longer-term concessions continue for red and white cabbage.

Air-freight availability from Kenya has tightened significantly due to disruption associated with the Iran conflict, limiting the volume of product moving. Longer journeys are contributing to inconsistent quality and reduced shelf life. We continue to work with suppliers to mitigate these pressures and maintain supply continuity.

With Morocco and Portugal approaching the end of their seasons, supply across the market remains constrained. The British crop, which stalled in the high temperatures, is now starting to regain momentum. As UK volumes increase, we should see a gradual easing of availability challenges. While we do not anticipate shortages, conditions will stay tight until the crop rebounds.

As the brief Almería season concludes, availability has tightened in line with expectations. Murcia is set to commence harvesting within the next week, and early reports from growers suggest a promising outlook.The greatest pressure is anticipated on Cantaloupe and Galia varieties.

UK herb production is now coming online. The combination of a very wet winter and a delayed start to warmer weather means availability will stay challenging for a few more days. As additional fields come into production, we expect supply to strengthen.

Leek supply is shifting from British to Spanish crops. As is typical at this stage, we anticipate some telescoping and lighter leaf appearance as the new season comes through.