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Cauliflower shortages as extreme weather kills crops | Cauliflower shortages as extreme weather kills crops |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Britain is experiencing a cauliflower shortage after extreme weather killed off much of this year's crops. | Britain is experiencing a cauliflower shortage after extreme weather killed off much of this year's crops. |
Heavy rainfall in June destroyed crops in Lincolnshire, and alternative European supplies wilted in last month's heatwave. | Heavy rainfall in June destroyed crops in Lincolnshire, and alternative European supplies wilted in last month's heatwave. |
Cauliflower prices have soared and some farmers have suffered financial losses after the destruction of their crops. | Cauliflower prices have soared and some farmers have suffered financial losses after the destruction of their crops. |
The shortages were described as "very concerning" by a spokesman for the Brassica Growers Association. | The shortages were described as "very concerning" by a spokesman for the Brassica Growers Association. |
Other brassica - including cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts - are also in short supply. | Other brassica - including cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts - are also in short supply. |
"Crops can withstand a reasonable amount of variation in weather but the conditions in June were too much and as a result crops have suffered, and this is leading to a shortage of supply," the British Growers Association (BGA) said. | "Crops can withstand a reasonable amount of variation in weather but the conditions in June were too much and as a result crops have suffered, and this is leading to a shortage of supply," the British Growers Association (BGA) said. |
Most of the UK's cauliflowers are grown in Lincolnshire, which experienced record amounts of rainfall and flooding in June that destroyed this year's crop. | Most of the UK's cauliflowers are grown in Lincolnshire, which experienced record amounts of rainfall and flooding in June that destroyed this year's crop. |
It has forced some suppliers to buy their cauliflowers from other countries - and the scarcity of them has caused prices to rise. | It has forced some suppliers to buy their cauliflowers from other countries - and the scarcity of them has caused prices to rise. |
Some have advised customers - including restaurants and hotels - to take cauliflowers off their menus until stocks recover. | Some have advised customers - including restaurants and hotels - to take cauliflowers off their menus until stocks recover. |
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the trade body UK Hospitality, said: "If restaurants are unable to get their hands on cauliflower, that is obviously going to cause a nuisance. | Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the trade body UK Hospitality, said: "If restaurants are unable to get their hands on cauliflower, that is obviously going to cause a nuisance. |
"Thankfully, most should be fairly adept at substituting cauliflower for other items on their menus, so, hopefully, customers should not be unduly disappointed." | "Thankfully, most should be fairly adept at substituting cauliflower for other items on their menus, so, hopefully, customers should not be unduly disappointed." |
Steve Short, the managing director of Accent Fresh, a Norfolk-based fresh produce supplier, said: "We rely quite heavily on Lincolnshire for our brassica, and we get some from Cambridgeshire, Kent, Evesham [in Worcestershire], and Cornwall. | Steve Short, the managing director of Accent Fresh, a Norfolk-based fresh produce supplier, said: "We rely quite heavily on Lincolnshire for our brassica, and we get some from Cambridgeshire, Kent, Evesham [in Worcestershire], and Cornwall. |
"We have had to import them from Holland during the shortages. The growers have lost a lot of crop, so the market is very short and the price has gone up. | "We have had to import them from Holland during the shortages. The growers have lost a lot of crop, so the market is very short and the price has gone up. |
"We've been paying between £1.50 and £2.00 per head of cauliflower, it would normally be about 50 or 60 pence each." | "We've been paying between £1.50 and £2.00 per head of cauliflower, it would normally be about 50 or 60 pence each." |
Mr Short said the firm, which supplies about 300 hotels, restaurants, schools, universities and catering establishments across East Anglia, has advised customers to use other well-supplied vegetables, such as carrots and Swede, during the shortages. | Mr Short said the firm, which supplies about 300 hotels, restaurants, schools, universities and catering establishments across East Anglia, has advised customers to use other well-supplied vegetables, such as carrots and Swede, during the shortages. |
The poor quality of some of the limited amount of British brassica has seen the firm give out credits to some of its customers, Mr Short said. | The poor quality of some of the limited amount of British brassica has seen the firm give out credits to some of its customers, Mr Short said. |
The rise of 'cauli-power' | |
Once regarded as a bland, boiled side dish, the cauliflower has risen in popularity as a substitute for everything from pizza crusts to gnocchi. | |
Broccoli's paler cousin has become a firm fixture on upmarket restaurant menus - think Yotam Ottolenghi's cumin-roasted cauliflower with tahini, zhoug and barberries or Heston Bluementhal's roasted cauliflower with smoked brown butter, red wine and truffle. | |
It is also beloved by celebrity chefs like Deliciously Ella, whose plant-based recipes include everything from creamy cauliflower and lentil dahl, to a cauliflower crust pizza and a mushroom, cauliflower and squash risotto. | |
Cauliflower is also a popular alternative for those looking to reduce their meat intake: a hashtag devoted to cauliflower "steaks" has more than 11,000 posts on Instagram. | |
Get some creative cauliflower inspiration from the BBC's recipes, here. | |
'We've lost £1m' | 'We've lost £1m' |
Martin Tate, commercial director of brassica growers Lincolnshire Field Products, estimated the farm has suffered about £1m in lost revenues after heavy rainfall decimated his cauliflower and broccoli crops. | Martin Tate, commercial director of brassica growers Lincolnshire Field Products, estimated the farm has suffered about £1m in lost revenues after heavy rainfall decimated his cauliflower and broccoli crops. |
He said: "We effectively had three months of rain in the space of three days, so anything that was planted up until that point in time [including the cauliflowers and broccoli] was either washed out of the ground, or sat for several weeks in flooded fields." | He said: "We effectively had three months of rain in the space of three days, so anything that was planted up until that point in time [including the cauliflowers and broccoli] was either washed out of the ground, or sat for several weeks in flooded fields." |
Brussels sprouts and red and white cabbage were also planted before the rains, but it is the cauliflowers and broccoli that have been worst hit in July and August. | Brussels sprouts and red and white cabbage were also planted before the rains, but it is the cauliflowers and broccoli that have been worst hit in July and August. |
He said the Brussels sprouts and the cabbages will be affected for the autumn and the winter, but it is too early to estimate the scale of the losses. | He said the Brussels sprouts and the cabbages will be affected for the autumn and the winter, but it is too early to estimate the scale of the losses. |
The farm's cauliflowers are now "suffering to a fairly huge degree", with just 20% of the crop able to be harvested, and with a percentage of what is being harvested not being of suitable quality to cover our orders. | The farm's cauliflowers are now "suffering to a fairly huge degree", with just 20% of the crop able to be harvested, and with a percentage of what is being harvested not being of suitable quality to cover our orders. |
"We have lost up to 80% of our production for the last two to three weeks and the next three weeks, so a large chunk of our season we're suffering not only crop losses but financial losses as well. Incomes are down and it's going to take a lot of recovering." | "We have lost up to 80% of our production for the last two to three weeks and the next three weeks, so a large chunk of our season we're suffering not only crop losses but financial losses as well. Incomes are down and it's going to take a lot of recovering." |
Lincolnshire Field Products supplies most of the UK's major retailers, and food companies that supply to pubs and restaurants. | Lincolnshire Field Products supplies most of the UK's major retailers, and food companies that supply to pubs and restaurants. |
Mr Tate expects the broccoli and cauliflower shortages to recover between the end of the month and the beginning of September. | Mr Tate expects the broccoli and cauliflower shortages to recover between the end of the month and the beginning of September. |
'Disruption will be temporary' | 'Disruption will be temporary' |
Waitrose, Asda, and Morrisons have a range of cauliflower heads currently available for sale on their websites. | Waitrose, Asda, and Morrisons have a range of cauliflower heads currently available for sale on their websites. |
Both Tesco and Sainsbury's currently only have organic cauliflower heads for sale on their websites. | Both Tesco and Sainsbury's currently only have organic cauliflower heads for sale on their websites. |
They are priced at £2 each - £1 more expensive than their standard cauliflowers. | They are priced at £2 each - £1 more expensive than their standard cauliflowers. |
The British Retail Consortium said: "This is yet another example of how retailers are having to manage the effects of climate change, which has created a greater variability in the weather and resulted a slightly poorer harvest in the UK." | The British Retail Consortium said: "This is yet another example of how retailers are having to manage the effects of climate change, which has created a greater variability in the weather and resulted a slightly poorer harvest in the UK." |