There are daffodils on the ground, blossom in the trees and, although it appears that we cannot ditch the wellington boots just yet, spring has definitely sprung! We are delighted to have welcomed the first of our sensational spring produce. Sunnier days are on the horizon!
Local Produce
We are so excited to welcome Wild Garlic! Grown, foraged and packed by our friends at Morghew Estate in Tenterden, this delightful herb is only in season for a short time; around 6-8 weeks. With the Wild Garlic Flowers becoming available toward the end of the season, and being as delicious as they are pretty, these two products are an absolute must have for your menus during our transition from winter to spring.
We are thrilled to have introduced another stock line this month. Crisps! The award winning, local company Kent Crisps, based in Canterbury, share Foodari’s views regarding championing Kent, our local countryside and all it has to offer. Collaborating with local businesses to provide you with the flavours we all know and love, their 7 different varieties are free from artificial colours, flavours, are gluten free (with the exception of roast beef and spitfire), with a long shelf life and contain no hydrogenated fats. What’s not to love?!
The vegetable oil from Danbury Oils in Essex is proving very popular, and we are so pleased to be working together to expand our sustainability initiatives. We will collect your used oil, return it to Danbury Oils, who will then recycle it to make Bio Diesel. Working together truly is the strongest approach we can take to sustainable and responsible supplying, and we are proud of the steps we are taking and the partnerships we are making to achieve and maintain our goals.
Fruit And Veg
Trevor Bradley at Boundary Farm has had a torrid time throughout winter, but we are still gratefully receiving his resilient Cauliflowers. If you recall, we experienced issues due to the wet weather and obstacles in being able to harvest, and now pigeons are intent on affecting his juvenile crop. Trevor’s son is a National clay pigeon shooting champion, we suspect this is no coincidence…!
Boundary Farm are stand out growers, and one we have built and maintained a fantastic relationship with for many years. We really do hope Trevor has an easier spring/summer season than autumn and winter has been!
Turnips, Celeriac, Parsnips, and Beetroots (of different shapes and colours) are all proving to be resilient and abundant, with no anticipated issues and good supply. Carrots are not faring quite so well unfortunately. Waterlogged farms and damaged crops mean we can expect an increase in price, and the same for Swedes, which will now be sourced from Scotland.
Having said that, we are adding a little seasonal colour with rainbow Chantenay Carrots from Inkerstall Farm in Newark. 4 colours of carrots for the same price as the normal orange Chantenays, really adds a spectacular twist to the plate.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli remains a popular choice, quite rightly so, and we cannot wait to start receiving larger quantities from our local producers (watch out for more pigeon trouble!).
Our local apples are available in abundance. Our go-to varieties are always Galas and Reubens, supplied by Fiona and Hugh Boucher at Newlands Farm, and J Colthrup at Hares Farm respectively.
Potatoes
Jersey Royals are available! But the price is sadly not as attractive as the stunning potato itself, at the moment. As spring progresses, we expect it to drop dramatically, but in the meantime, if you need to grace your plates with these little beauties, you will be paying a hefty price.
The Potato Shop, at Morghew Park in Tenterden, and Provenance Potatoes at Mongeham Farm in Deal supply us with our local potatoes; including some delightful exotic mixes as advertised last month, and our chippers which are a great rival to Maris Pipers. Price rises, in line with the increased cost of storage and our wet autumn, will come into play this month.
Salad
Stephen Betts, at Church Farm in Offham, has started to plant, and we are getting ready to welcome his stunning salads within the next few months! In the meantime, Spain provides us with our salads, both leaves and accompaniments; Cucumbers and Tomatoes.
Further Afield
Our Italian counterparts are offering us Creime de Wrapa and Monks Beard, with the addition of wild Hops and some stunning red Asparagus! Green and white Asparagus is available from France, before our very own season begins here in Kent in April.
Butternut Squashes are coming in from South Africa. Portugal and South America are providing us with our berries, and USA’s new crop Sweet Potatoes are in full flow! All good quality and well-priced.
Melons remain in good supply, with stable pricing. Honeydews and Watermelons are now new season from Costa Rica.
Large Spanish Oranges are faring better from dryer weather, and equally, cooler weather in Egypt has seen small Oranges flourishing once more.
Poor weather in Kenya has meant a real decline in yield and condition of their green Beans, so we are currently sourcing them from Rwanda, which are proving to be far better quality and more reliable availability.
As always, please interact with us through our social media channels, and be sure to look at our pages for immediate produce and availability news!