Boom in home-grown veg

AS SUPERMARKET vegetable prices soar, people across the country are finding more creative ways to feed themselves and their families.

National supplier Sutton Seeds has noticed a shift in sales to correspond with this trend. Five years ago, 60 per cent of its sales were flower seeds compared to 40 per cent vegetable seeds.

Now 70 per cent of sales are of vegetable seed varieties.

The company says flower seed sales have not fallen – there has just been astronomical growth in vegetable seed sales in the UK recently.

Fran Suermondt, Suttons' marketing co-ordinator, said: "We are finding it's really changing our whole sales figures as people are growing their own vegetables.

"There is a return to more home baking too – our gooseberries are doing well as people make their own jams.

"We're doing a lot of products like speedy seeds, that grow quickly, and cut and come again salads, that can be grown in the kitchen."

Suttons puts this growth down to more people taking the initiative to grow their own vegetables, particularly during the credit crunch, and believes the interest in vegetable seeds will carry on increasing.

The company has worked out some of the savings its customers can make by growing their own.

A packet of its Lettuce Dazzle, a variety of little gem, costs £1.55 and should yield 120 lettuces.

At an average supermarket price of 25p each, a shopper would spend £30 on that many lettuces.

But Ms Suermondt believes other factors have also influenced people to try to grow their food.

"Cookery programmes like Jamie Oliver's have helped – growing your own has become more popular because of the media.

"We are finding that beginner gardeners are coming into it more as they see it is not as scary as they thought."

This shift towards vegetable growing has also been seen by local retailers.

Rosemary Baker from Fermoys garden centre in Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot, said last season was very good for vegetable seeds.

She added: "We've had more people who have bought allotments and, as well as buying seeds, are buying the equipment they need for growing vegetables." People were more conscious of making the effort to grow their own.

"Whether it is because supermarket prices are getting higher or whether people are just becoming aware that what they can grow tastes better, it's difficult to tell," she said.

Plymouth Garden Centre and Homeleigh, near Launceston, also reported a growth in interest in vegetable seeds and planted seedlings.

People are buying traditional plants like tomatoes, but also more exotic products like sweet potatoes.

This news also follows a 10 per cent sales increase this year for leading veg-box delivery scheme Riverford Organic Vegetables, near Buckfastleigh.

Managers put this down to fixed prices, which they say are 22 per cent cheaper than supermarket alternatives.

Suttons is delighted with this trend, but is determined not to let people forget about flower seeds.

Ms Suermondt said: "We're looking at promoting flowers now – I think they will make a comeback as well."