Today ‘marks peak availability of fresh food on shop shelves’

More than 13 million pieces of fresh British produce will be available today – enough for a portion of fruit and veg for every child in the UK.

The claim comes from Bradford-based supermarket chain Morrisons which says the unusual weather the country has enjoyed this year has meant vegetables have grown faster.

Sunshine and heavy downpours have often been seen on the same day, so Britain’s main crop is in season up to 10 days earlier than usual.

Morrisons said it had based the claim on information from their own farms and fields to pinpoint today as the most bountiful day for British produce to appear on supermarket shelves.

Morrisons head of agriculture Louise Welsh said: “As buying British becomes increasingly important to shoppers we’ve increased our volumes of British seasonal fresh foods.

“On August 25 Morrisons will have 146 lines of fresh British produce to choose from on shelf all day as the final week of August proves to be the best time to eat our very own, nationally sourced, fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables including produce grown in Yorkshire like sweetcorn and strawberries.”

A growing appetite among British consumers for British food has seen supermarkets becoming increasingly keen to stock domestic produce in recent years.