Fresh Connect E-Brochure - Flipbook - Page 3
VEGETABLES
Now that Halloween has been and gone, Pumpkins will start to disappear from the market although we will
still be able to get our hands on some squashes such as Crown Prince, Iron Bark, Mixed Squash and Delica.
As we very quickly approach Christmas, this time of year is always fantastic on the vegetable front. British
grown produce is always the best and Carrots, Parsnips, Swede and Turnips are all root vegetables that are
coming from farms in the UK. Chantenay and Mixed Chantenay Carrots alongside Picollo Parsnips are
always a firm favourite, with lots of colour and minimal prep they are a chef’s dream.
We are pleased to report the quality and availability of Potatoes is steady and there should be no problems
making those Roast Potatoes for festive dinners! Let’s talk about Brussel Sprouts!! We can get our hands on
Brussel Tops, Stalks, Normal Brussels and mid month we should start to see Prepared Brussels which saves
time during busy periods. English Kale and Black Cabbage (cavolo nero) are a lovely choice for winter
menu’s along with Spring Green. This should be the last month for English Savoy and Hispi Cabbages as we
switch over to Portuguese from December. Kalettes are a seasonal highlight in the winter months alongside
Red and Verigated Kale these items really add value to the plate with an abundance of colour and contrast.
January King Cabbage teased us with an early sighting but we expect volumes to be low until December.
We have seen the last of our lovely English Broccoli and will be fully moving over to Spanish supply from
November when is unfortunate timing with the current events of Storm Dana flooding many crops in Valencia.
Brace yourselves for expected shortages with availability and strong pricing. As always we will work with our
suppliers and manage this situation best we can and keep our customers updated on improvements.
We have also moved on to winter varieties of English Cauliflower and pray for consistent weather to maintain
stability on quality and price. There has been some stunning English Purple Cauliflower and Romanesque on
the market which we are hoping will stick around for the next couple of months at least. Crones (also known
as Japenese Artichokes) have been spotted on the market, these are very diverse and can be eaten raw,
pickled, dried or cooked. We may even see some Calcot Onions at some point this month if we are lucky.
Salads
This time of year is always tricky as we make a big transition from Dutch to Spanish season and it doesn’t help
that Storm Dana is currently causing havoc in regions of Spain with flash floods and extreme rainfall. We have
already heard from suppliers that whole head Lettuces (Iceberg, Gem, Cos) and Baby Mixed Leaf, Spinach &
Rocket will be the most affected on quality and availability. Aubergines, Peppers, Cucumbers and all varieties
of Tomatoes will move over to Spanish/Moroccan. Hopefully weather stays consistent to allow quality and
price to remain steady. English lettuces have sadly ended meaning that Rosso, Biondi and Oakleaf are now
French. English Spring Onions have moved over to Mexican and Egyptian varieties where quality can be hit and
miss. It’s a shame we have to say goodbye until Spring on all English salad items.
We have had some shipping delays from Chile on Avocados so are using Israelian to ease the situation. We
have spotted a glimpe of some lovely Italian lettuces such as Trevise, Tardivo and Pink Raddichio .
The eagerly anticipated arrival of Monks Beard should hopefully be on the horizon very soon, deliveries from
Italy arrive twice a week so availability can be sparse at times and pre-order recommended.
mushroom & Foraged
Compost issues with a number of growers across the UK and Europe has seemed to improve which is positive.
Scottish Girolles will likely slope off and finish by the end of November. Please contact the office for further
information regarding Wild Mushrooms and foraged items.
