As if by clockwork, our growers in the UK and on the continent have tipped out of the chaos of the Christmas rush and straight into the first proper deep freeze of the season.
Conditions in the fields are extremely challenging this week. Speaking to our UK growers yesterday, many were out harvesting in icy, snowy conditions, having lifted as much as they could in advance of the cold snap.
Pam and the team at Strawberry Fields, along with John and the team at Newfields in Fadmoor, have been harvesting kale and cavolo nero to start the week. Despite being leafy crops, they are impressively cold-hardy, with frost actually improving flavour as starches convert to sugars. We’ll also be receiving the last of Pam’s tunnel-grown rocket, bringing a welcome hit of freshness at this time of year.
The ground in Lincolnshire has been frozen solid and dusted in snow, making leeks impossible to harvest by hand. Clyde at Strawberry Fields was yesterday searching under the snow for a harvesting machine to try to fulfil our order, but this had to be abandoned as it was causing too much damage. Thankfully, John and the team at Newfields, along with Graham at Chapel Farm up in Scotland, have also harvested some for the start of this week for us, but we may be a little limited this weekend until they have a chance to properly thaw.
We’re also expecting deliveries of Lancashire-grown leafy produce this week: rocket and watercress from Libby Flintoff in Preston (once it thaws enough to cut!), and spinach from both Libby and Duncan Gielty in Ormskirk. They’ve saved some tunnel-grown leaf to sit alongside the Euro range.
On the European side, widespread black ice has caused traffic disruption around Paris, with delays getting pallets into and back out of Rungis. Please bear with us this week, and do expect some gaps. Having said that, the display is looking wonderfully abundant today.
A huge thank you to all of our growers who are out in the fields in tough conditions, keeping produce moving and shelves stocked after an already demanding festive period. It’s always humbling to see the effort involved, and we’re very grateful for it.
1. Leeks being harvested at Strawberry Fields in frozen ground. It was -8 there this morning!
2. Kale plants in the snow at Kindling Farm in Knowsley, Merseyside. We look forward to welcoming their produce back at the start of next week!
3. Red cabbage at Kindling Farm.
