Written by Tom Moggach
July 05, 2018

It's a frenzy of fruit on the Market - including the first English cherries, currants and gooseberries.

These beauties from Kent were for sale at P & I; but our growers face fierce competition from Spain and Turkey.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 3

It's prime time for soft fruit. British gooseberries have sweetened up in the sun; strawberries and these Kentish raspberries are looking tip top; these jewel-like whitecurrants are from over the Channel.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Whitecurrants

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Raspberries

For stone fruit, expect plenty of peaches (including white-fleshed and flat), nectarines and apricots - mainly Spanish. Not long now until English plums make an appearance.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Flat Peaches

Melons are a good call in July - well priced and popular in this hot weather. All varieties available.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Watermelons

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Melons

Outdoor-grown British rhubarb is still available.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Rhubarb

Figs are also arriving from Spain (black), Italy (flashes of green) and France. Turkish will be along later in the year.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Figs

English peas and broad beans are now underway - although they are not enjoying the heat.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Peas

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Broadbeans

High temperatures are also a bane for UK salad growers, as lettuces tend not to grow above 30C. (Find out more here.)

Other British veg include the first new season carrots, beetroots, the first courgettes, tomatoes, Rainbow chard, baby fennel, cucumbers and broccoli. Jersey Royals are reasonably priced. Not long now until runner beans.

Sweetcorn has started from hotter climes such as Morocco.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Sweetcorn

Continental lines include the first of this season's garlic, beans (Borlotti; Coco de Paimpol etc.), coloured beets, Romanesco, artichokes, Reine Claude and courgettes.

You won't find much in the way of wild mushrooms with the exception of girolle.

I loved the look of these chillies.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report July 2018 Chillies

On my visit, I visited a special pop-up avocado stand at Covent Garden Supply. This ingredient is in huge demand these days, overtaking oranges in the retail category. Per capita consumption in the UK has increased nearly 200% in the last five or so years.

"Just five or six years ago we would have been incredibly excited to see a single avocado recipe in a magazine - now it's daily," says Matthew Churchill of Greencell, who was behind the stand.