Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
As the second week at tennis tournament Wimbledon kicks off, this week sees the first crop of British plums arriving into Waitrose & Partners branches.
Waitrose & Partners claims to be the first supermarket to stock the seasonal stone fruit this summer. Retailing at £2.20 for 550g, the Herman variety plums are available in 121 branches from today, with national distribution from July 24, and online at Waitrose.com.
The plums are supplied by Michael and Christiana Bentley from Castle Fruit Farms in Gloucestershire. The Bentleys have grown plums for Waitrose for 13 years and their orchard has produced fruit for the retailer for more than 30 years.
The Herman variety has a purple shiny skin and is traditionally the first plum variety to be picked each season. It is a ‘free stone’ variety with a small stone which falls easily away from the flesh, meaning it’s a fuss-free fruit to eat. The grocery multiple said the plums are harvested by hand to prevent bruising ‘so they are in perfect condition when they arrive in-store’.
Waitrose & Partners stone fruit buyer Tim Stevens commented: “The arrival of British plums is something our customers really look forward to. Thanks to our long-standing relationship with our expert growers, we’re able to provide shoppers with the very best British plums. They are a delicious and versatile fruit perfect for summer desserts and jams – or simply scrumptious eaten straight from the fruit bowl.”
