In Veg
"This incredibly warm beautiful weather means all veg are in full swing, virtually nothing is dearer, and the quality is fantastic with all products.
Leading the charge is Australian new season asparagus. It’s picked every day or second day and in our stores within 24 hours. This compares with the imported product we have had until now which spends three weeks getting to us. The price is fantastic and the quality is as good as it gets. Weather permitting (and that certainly looks to be the case) we will have this great product for a couple of months.
Other vegetable bargains this week include baby cukes, red caps, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, iceberg lettuce, and cauliflowers - in fact, nothing is dear. Our industry is certainly doing its bit to keep the lid on inflation. Enjoy the situation while it continues, all the industry pundits are predicting drought by mid-summer.
In Fruit
Heavy showers in the growing areas have made strawberries a quality risk this week. However, raspberries are back in price and the cheap blueberries continue to flood the market. Sadly, we say farewell to Imperial mandarins until next year. Honey Murcotts are my pick, although some people prefer the Afourer variety instead as a late season mandarin.
Avocados continue to be oversupplied. Look for some very cheap specials here. Passionfruit and apples are good and inexpensive, and the imported grapes are eating well. Some tropical fruits such as papaya and pineapples are scarce. However, there is lots of fruit available to choose from."
- David Harris
