Although native to South America, the potato is a staple in many traditional British dishes, from the classic roast dinner to fish and chips. Many other vegetables such as carrots, onions, parsnips, and cabbage are also found in many UK dishes. On the sweet side, various fruits and berries are often used in British desserts and jams. Fruit production in the United Kingdom has nearly doubled in value since 2012. In 2022, the
was valued at over one billion British pounds. This increase is in stark comparison to the
, which has only minimally increased over the last 10 years to 1.7 billion British pounds.
International trade
While Brexit was reported to have impacts on fruit and vegetable trade, the long-term consequences are yet to be observed. Both the import and export values of fruit and vegetables in the United Kingdom have steadily increased in recent years. In 2022,
fruit and vegetable imports were valued at approximately 12.3 billion British pounds.
Fruit and vegetable exports, on the other hand, were valued at just over one billion million British pounds in the same year. The UK's high reliance on fruit and vegetables from abroad could prove challenging if further trade barriers appear in the future.
Consumer trends in the UK
In 2022, consumer spending on
fruit slightly increased compared to the previous year. More than one quarter of UK consumers are eating one to six portions of
fruits and berries and
salads or vegetables a week. About a fifth of consumers eat three portions of fresh fruits or vegetables every day. However, the large increases in price seen across many food categories may impact consumer's intake of fresh products. Some
fresh fruit and vegetables products have been hit especially hard. For example, the price of one kilogram of carrots had increased by over one-third between December 2022 and December 2023. Onions, plums, and iceberg lettuces experienced the next biggest price jump.
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