One of the things I dearly love, nay, adore about the fresh produce game (fruit and veg to you and me) is the unpredictability of it all. When a fresh produce veteran tells you no two days are the same believe them, also every day you learn something new.
So there I was yesterday minding my own fresh produce Social Media networks when lo, I stumble across National Salad Awareness Day, 6th March 2013.
A giant pepper (Pippa) and cucumber (Colin) helping to raise awareness of British salad crops with growers from Essex and Hertfordshire all heading to Westminster on Wednesday.
I personally think that we should be celebrating each of the British fresh produce crops as they come into season. We should be emphasising and buying quality British food, and our British fresh produce plays a key role in this.
I'd love to see us growing more British fresh produce, and as Lee Stiles, Lea Valley Growers secretary, points out the members produce up to 75% of the UK's cucumbers and 50% of the UK's sweet peppers, and they could grow more if planning allowed them to do so.
I say we should be backing our British fresh produce growers to grow more, as there is the potential to do so.
So what can you do as a shopper? Quite simply buy your salads with the Union Jack logo, you should be able to find cucumbers from the Lea Valley in stores now, look out for Essex or Herts on the label.
Simply #BuyBritish @Leavalleygrower @Britishpeppers
