Courgette cravings were just the tip of the iceberg – is aubergine next?

Are we auber reacting? 

Social media is ablaze with consumers desperately seeking and enthusiastically selling courgettes and lettuce heads. Hold on to your shopping carts, aubergine could be next.

Dieter Lloyd, a representative from the British Leafy Salads Association, said: “It’s remarkable how much interest there is in the shortage. It’s not just a few vegetables; broccoli, aubergines, radishes and baby leaf have all been affected. This problem will continue into March, as it can take 8 to 10 weeks to grow the salad.”

An alternative for those struggling to include greenery on their plate could be to eat more seasonal produce.

“This is not just a salad problem, the cold snap in January affected the entire region of Southern Europe, including contingency supplies. It’s an opportunity for those who promote seasonal products, such as Chinese leaf lettuce, brussels sprouts, cabbage and root vegetables.”

 Dieter Lloyd, BLSA Chief

The majority of UK crops are provided from Murcia in Spain, a region which received over a year’s worth of rain within 24 hours late last year. To make up for the loss of produce, retailers are importing products from California at a higher price.

Dieter points out that Brexit carries a risk of availability issues in the future. When asked about the special relationship with the US – and whether this could provide lower import costs for the UK – he comments that he doesn’t anticipate the special relationship to have a major impact on import prices.