Kids – look away now! It’s the news you’ve probably been dreading all year long but sprouts are set to be up to 25 per cent bigger this year.
For fans though there’s even better news because sprouts are also likely to be noticeably tastier thanks to a combination of good growing conditions and new varieties that are more suited to the UK climate and soil.
This year Tesco has been working with suppliers like T H Clements in Lincolnshire and Drysdale, in Berwickshire, Scotland, to find varieties that are hardier to the UK climate.
The move follows a challenging growing season last year when heavy rainfall in late November and through December led to a poorer than normal yield and crop.
Tesco sprout buyer Simon Tenwick explains:
“We’ve been working hard this year to bring in new varieties that have helped us deliver a better tasting sprout with a crunchier texture and perfect size.
“The quality of the festive crop that has been coming through in the last few weeks is among the best we’ve had in recent years and we are certain sprout fans will be delighted.”
T H Clements said that poor harvesting conditions last year led to the average sprout size being 24mm in diameter but this year, thanks to the new varieties, they are 30mm.
Last year heavy rainfall continued throughout much of the autumn as a result of Storm Babet and instead of the colder weather needed to ‘finish off’ the sprouts in late November and early December, it continued to be mild and wet.
T H Clements Commercial Director John Moulding said:
“This year we’ve pretty much had a reversal in growing conditions to 2023 with the right amounts of warmth and sunshine during the summer months after they were planted, good amounts of rain during the autumn and now colder weather in December.
“We’ve worked hard over the last 12 months to improve not only this year’s but future crop yields, starting by the selection of new land to plant the sprouts – the alluvial silts, only found on the east coast of Lincolnshire.
“The silts are situated in different growing areas that all have their own microclimates and coastal frost protection. Sprouts enjoy the breeze of the coast that gives frost protection.”
In the run-up to Christmas T H Clements will run up to 16 harvesters, working literally around the clock, to provide Britain with 192 million sprouts!
The company is committed to achieving carbon-neutral status by 2040 and investing in modern farming techniques which work with nature.
