Own-label prepared foods manufacturer Bakkavor and grower Hammond Produce have launched a ‘Garden of Innovation’ to showcase new varieties of root veg, herbs and salads.
The 15-acre garden has been built to resemble an allotment at Hammond Produce’s New Farm in Nottinghamshire, and contains more than 50 different produce varieties - many of which have never been available in the UK on a large-scale commercial basis.
The crop, which boasts unusual varieties such as yukina savoy, red kale, purple cauliflower and red sprouts, would be among a selection of veg featured in limited edition own-label ranges of prepared food products in the mults before the end of the year, said Bakkavor.
“Our retail partners are very interested in how we can use these varieties in our products,” said Bakkavor’s MD of fresh convenience Ivan Clingan, who added it would “bring something new and different to the category and drive excitement and theatre within our products”.
His comments were echoed by Hammond Produce director John Hammond, who noted the grower was targeting a yield of about 50 tonnes this year, which would grow by up to five times in 2016.
“There’s no reason why these limited-edition products can’t drive awareness and consumption of these unusual varieties as whole head veg,” he said. “The project showcases the best of British food production and farming working together in an innovative, creative way to address changing consumer demands,” he said.
“A lot of novel new products which have entered the UK market are imported, so this is an opportunity to try and reconnect our customers with innovative British produce,” Hammond added.
Environment secretary Liz Truss visited the farm last week and described the project as a “fantastic example of our forward-thinking food industry”.
“We want the UK to be the most innovative food nation in the world, which is why we are developing a 25-year plan with technology at its core to ensure we grow more, buy more and sell more British food,” she said.
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