Sprouts could be a Christmas hit as a Cambridgeshire farmer gives the vegetable a novel twist

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Sprouts


The annual complaints about overcooked and smelly sprouts has made a farmer see red this Christmas.

Cambridgeshire farmer John Lankfer has created a red brussel sprout craze that will available for the first time in UK stores this December.

As the only farmer to grow red Brussel sprouts for a commercial retailer in the UK, John is banking on the red sprout being a festive favourite, both for him and the 100 staff he employs at of Chestnut Farm.

Twenty acres of John's farmland is filled with row upon row of the British-bred purple-red plants for as far as the eye can see.

Closer inspection reveals stems clustered with the red ball variety, long favoured by discerning sprout lovers and available for the first time in UK stores at the of this month.

He has secured a contract with supermarket giant Asda to supply 125 tons of the red ball variety to selected stores in preparation for the annual yule tide feasting.
John has already experienced an extraordinary interest during the build up to to Christmas.

'We've been snowed under since the announcement that we're growing red sprouts,' said the 47-year-old. 'Calls have come to us from all over the world.'

Distributors from Canada, New Zealand, the US, Denmark and ironically even Belgium have jumped at the chance to taste the curious British sprouts.

The novel colour and sweet mild taste is expected to go down well with children and adults who would usually avoid them.

'I've been growing sprouts for about 25 years," said John. 'People have strong opinions about them and I think these red ones certainly are going to tempt people.
'We've tested them out on lots of people and they always say they're much sweeter and hold the red colour really well when cooked.

'People are getting really excited about this- from all over the world.'
But humans are not the only ones enjoying tucking into the new sprouts, John has to spend more time keeping off pests than he does with his traditional green sprouts.

'The slugs certainly love them, I have a real job keeping the little critters off my red sprouts,' he said.


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John's plan to revolutionise people's pallets when it comes to the oft-dreaded sprout is aided by a plethora of food gurus, healthy eating books and television programmes.

Although the controversial cabbage-like vegetables are not to everyone's taste just like related vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower Brussels sprouts are also renowned for their goodness.

Asda produce buyer Anne Spencer said: 'Sprouts are as traditional as Father Christmas and we sell millions of them every year

'Whether you love them or hate them they are one of the healthiest vegetables around.'

Sprouts are known for being low in fat, high in fibre, protein and vitamin C and A.
It is thought that the ancient Romans cultivated the wild ancestors of the modern Brussels sprout.

The variety was believed to have been perfected by the medieval people who lived on the land which now makes up modern Belgium, although the first written record of Brussels sprouts did not not appear until the sixteenth-century.

source: dailymail

Posted in: News Update