IN FRUIT
As always in August our sales continue to be dominated by winter berries. As some warmer days occur supply increases and prices come down. Hence the strawberries from Queensland and the blueberries from mostly the Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay region are now inexpensive and bursting with flavour. Even raspberries are quite well priced whereas a few years ago they were almost unprocurable until well into spring. We now sell two types of blueberries, the old fashioned standard varieties which are very good at this time of the year and also an extra large, extra sweet type of blueberry for which we pay more money and so sell for a greater price. Both are very good at this time, I must say I am loving the new premium fruit. Blood oranges are now at their best and I would recommend them to you this week. Sweet topless pineapples and passionfruit are well supplied and attractively priced, limes have eased a little and the imported grapes are fast coming down in price. There are some early mangoes that have started, but we don’t think they are good enough eating yet so we will wait a while before we start them. Avocados are still very good value, apples still crisp and good and navel oranges sweet as can be. If you are a fan of imperial mandarins you should buy up this week, we are near the end for them. Bananas are dearer than they have been this week but we feel this will be very short-lived.
IN VEGETABLE
The stand outs for value in vegetables this week are broccoli and broccolini. Prices are about as low as they go, the quality is superb and one or the other will be on special at all our stores. The other bit of good news is that we now have sufficient supplies of wonderful new season Australian asparagus underway and will not need to stock the greatly inferior imported product for the next few months. Snow peas are easing, Brussel sprouts have come right back and English spinach is very good value. Kale has eased, twin pack cos lettuce is cheaper and the market has that feeling that we are about to be overwhelmed with a flood of spring vegetables as long as the weather stays as mild as it has been in the growing areas. There will be fantastic veg specials in our stores in the coming months.
