In a development likely to inspire both joy and dismay around the Christmas dinner table, farmers are forecasting Brussels sprouts will be 25% bigger this year.
Good growing conditions, the introduction of new varieties, and a dose of sea air have resulted in a crop of super-sized sprouts for this festive season.
The vegetable wholesaler TH Clements, a supplier to Tesco, has told the supermarket that the average sprout size this year is 30mm in diameter, compared with 24mm last year, when growing and harvesting conditions were poor.
“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,” said Simon Tenwick, buying manager at Tesco. “We are certain sprout fans will be delighted.”
The bumper-sized crop will be welcomed by those responsible for peeling the vegetables, but sprouts are not, of course, to everyone’s taste. Household chefs wondering what to do with leftovers may want to have a crack at Nigel Slater’s attempt to sex up the humble sprout with a miso, sushi rice and pickled ginger recipe.
Tesco said it has been working with suppliers to find hardier varieties able to withstand the UK climate, with record rainfall earlier this year delaying planting, fuelling fears of shortages of crops such as potatoes, wheat and vegetables.
Last year, conditions, including the wettest July on record, wrought havoc on crops, raising fears of food inflation.
“This year we’ve pretty much had a reversal of growing conditions to 2023,” said John Moulding, commercial director of Lincolnshire-based TH Clements. “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.”
The company has been encouraging producers to plant crops on the alluvial silts – clay, silt, sand, and gravel that is deposited by running water – on the east coast of Lincolnshire.
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“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.”
Tesco expects to sell 1.5m kg of sprouts in the two weeks before Christmas, when a quarter of annual sprout consumption occurs. This is the weight of 285 London buses and works out at three sprouts for every man, woman and child in the country, according to Tesco.