As shown by Waitrose sales figures, British root vegetables are making a comeback as people get used to eating seasonally. The supermarket has doubled its order of vegetables including turnips and swedes as people turn back to traditional vegetables. Swedes, celeriac and turnips are all up in double figures for sales growth year on year, and more and more customers are searching for the vegetables online.
Searches for swedes are up 52 per cent on the retailer's website compared to last autumn, with celeriac up 25 per cent, fennel up 30 per cent and turnip up 17 per cent. Courgette, which has previously been a popular vegetable, is seeing figures for search down 1.4 per cent.
The growth in interest in the previously unloved root vegetables has been credited to the "wonky veg" movement as well as British cooks becoming more interested in food miles and eating seasonally.
The Telegraph quoted Zoe Simons, Senior Development Chef at Waitrose & Partners, as saying: "A lot of traditional British root vegetables had sadly fallen out of favour over the last decade or so, however in the last year we have seen a real root veg renaissance happening. Veg such as celeriac, turnips and swede are incredibly versatile and work brilliant both as main and side dishes. Roast a whole celeriac for a great veggie main dish, or try a turnip & swede gratin for a decadent side dish."