May sees the end of the ‘hungry gap’, this is the dip in UK fresh produce available to harvest. This month we have more fresh vegetables being harvested from our farms and from local growers, unfortunately British fresh fruit is still very limited, availability is set to increase next month, which we look forward to. Seasonal fresh UK produce is always so full of flavour in comparison to their out of season counterparts, and UK Fresh produce allows us to considerably reduce our carbon footprint!
We will still be seeing some of last month’s favourites from our farms in the Vale of Evesham, including Purple sprouting, Chard, Radish (Cherry Belle, French Breakfast and Mixed), Rhubarb and baby leeks, turnips and beets. We are particularly pleased with our baby beets and our radish this year; they look superb and taste exquisite! This month also signals the new season for our spinach and our golden, red and candy beetroot, we are very pleased with this year’s crops.
The UKs asparagus season is now well underway, the household favourite from Wye Valley is simply magnificent. We stock traditional green, purple and white UK asparagus from Wye Valley produce, each spear is hand picked and hydro cooled within the hour. This harvesting method ensures that each spear retains the maximum freshness and flavour.
We are very impressed with the quality and flavour of this year’s Heritage Tomatoes from Westlands. Westlands are local growers based in Offenham near Evesham, with a fantastic reputation among many chefs throughout the UK. The Westlands team have been growing and perfecting their heritage tomato range for years. With over 25 different varieties of multiple colours, shapes and sizes, our Heritage Tomato boxes are a must have in any kitchen.
The majority of our mushrooms are grown by Livesey Brothers in Leicestershire. Their varieties of woodland mushrooms that cannot be rivalled on flavour, freshness and quality due to their commitment to research, development and the consumer. We have a large variety of their mushrooms in stock including but not limited to Oyster, Shitake, White & golden Enoki, Buna & Shiro Shimeji, Eryngi, Maitake Mushrooms.
Oaklands Fruit Farm are local strawberry growers, located in Pershore. The first of their UK strawberries are perfectly crimson and almost ready for picking, they look phenomenal this year. We are hoping to see the first punnets arriving within the next couple of weeks, and the volumes to continue increasing, allowing the UK strawberry season to kick off into the swing of things. The strawberries at Oaklands are picked daily during their Strawberry season, with each strawberry reaching the chiller within 20 minutes to ensure their strawberries are of the highest quality, with the best ripe flavour.
There is plenty of new season fresh produce from our farms on the horizon. Next month (June) we are looking forward to welcoming our very own Savoy cabbage, Spring Cabbage, Red & Green Kale, Stem Broccoli, Courgettes, Leeks, Marrows, Broad Beans and Peas. Please get in touch with our sales office for more information on availability and to place your orders!