"A NEW BROCCOLI IS BORN"

 BURGUNDY

The UK’s first tender throughout, whole-head, purple broccoli shakes up supermarket shelves

A new and unique variety of broccoli is set to hit supermarket shelves in the UK this month. The world’s first ‘Burgundy Broccoli’ is set to shake up the market and give consumers the first ever whole head purple broccoli that is so tender that you can eat the entire product.

Burgundy Broccoli is completely edible and is tender throughout meaning it doesn’t need to be floreted, unlike your typical broccoli varieties. No need to remove the crown and stem – they can be all be eaten whole along with the head, either raw or cooked, depending on preference!

Not only does Burgundy Broccoli mean less overall waste, but its purple sprouting broccoli bloodline means superior taste, as well as providing essential nutrients and antioxidants.

Cutting down on food waste? Start with your veg.

70% of household food waste in the UK is intended to be eaten – so low-waste foods are essential

Up to a third of the food produced globally ends up being wasted, and when it comes to the UK, our household food waste amounts to 6.6 million tonnes per year – with a whopping 70% of this waste being food that was intended on being eaten*!

In the height of the nationwide lockdown earlier this year, shoppers had more time to think about their food habits and insight shows that we were cooking more conscientiously, with self-reported levels of food waste reducing by 43%*.

Making food go further starts with pre-shop planning, which is a habit Brits want to sustain, with 60% expressing a commitment to writing shopping lists more regularly as a result of lockdown**.

Food waste can be difficult to manage as part of everyday life, and this is true particularly when it comes to fresh produce. Post-lockdown, 70% of us want to continue to eat and cook more considerately at home to reduce food waste* - so what can we do to help sustain positive food habits in order to keep our waste to a minimum?

Burgundy Broccoli – a unique brassica variety grown in the UK – can be consumed raw or cooked, and it’s completely edible meaning no discarding of the crown or stem, unlike typical broccoli varieties that need to be floreted.

Launched in 2019, Burgundy Broccoli is the world’s first whole head purple broccoli which is available to buy in select Co-Op and Waitrose stores, as well as online via Ocado. Providing zero waste, Burgundy Broccoli is a nutritious British vegetable option that can help shoppers stay waste savvy.

Dave Clay, the crop manager behind Burgundy Broccoli, says; “It’s promising to see that people have become more aware of their food habits and that this is set to continue, whether that’s getting creative in the kitchen or using the same ingredient in different ways to make meals go further, or even experimenting with variations of recipes.

“Burgundy Broccoli is a versatile veg that can be enjoyed roasted, steamed or raw for even more nutritional value. It’s important that we provide shoppers with no- or low-waste options for their everyday cooking, which makes cutting down on food waste a breeze.”

Recipe inspiration

For recipe inspiration about cooking with Burgundy Broccoli

INSPIRATION

For more information on Burgundy Broccoli and any press requests, please contact Lucy Hughes or Holly Crosby on 0044 113 361 3600.