Burgundy Broccoli commences second UK harvest season

Following the successful launch of Burgundy Broccoli to the UK market in 2019, the UK’s leading independent plant breeder Elsoms Seeds and grower Staples Vegetables Ltd, are entering the UK’s second season of production.

Burgundy Broccoli is named for its deep purple hue and is so tender that the whole head can be enjoyed raw or cooked. 

Elsoms developed the seed for Burgundy Broccoli, in partnership with Dutch breeder Bejo, to bring a unique, whole-head variant to UK shelves, which was launched to consumers last year. Production and harvest have been undertaken in conjunction with Staples Vegetables Ltd, one of the largest vegetable producers in the UK. 

Over the next three months, 100 hectares of land – equivalent to around 187 football fields – of Burgundy Broccoli crops will be sown, grown and harvested on the Lincolnshire Fens. This land provides the ideal location for brassica production, home to alkaline soil and nutrient-rich earth.

Burgundy Broccoli’s seed producers, growers and harvesters are well prepared for the UK season ahead, working strenuously to ensure crop production is maximised and the UK’s first no-waste whole-head brassica is in abundant supply across the country. 

To maximise crop levels and production, Burgundy Broccoli goes through different phases of growing and harvesting, split between production plants in both Spain and the UK. Aligned with the temperate seasons and UK’s rising climes, growers begin sowing seeds in the UK from April – in time for peak season which falls in mid-August until September. The UK’s harvest period begins in June, continuing through until December.

Dave Clay, Brassica Crop Manager at Elsoms Seeds, said: “Broccoli products are consistently some of the most widely-enjoyed vegetables in the UK and we’re thrilled to have celebrated a successful launch to the market for Burgundy Broccoli. Feedback from the retailers has been fantastic, which is testament to the hard work and determination of the research and development teams, to create a quality product grown right here in Lincolnshire, the perfect setting for brassica production.

“Embarking on our second year is a welcome opportunity for the team and we hope to build on the success of our first 12 months!”

For more information about Burgundy Broccoli, please visit www.burgundybroccoli.com.