UK | Brits have gone wild for all things rhubarb with the classic dessert vegetable, now popular as a fragrance for air fresheners, washing up liquid, candles, and even toilet paper.
The taste and smell of rhubarb have become so popular in the last few years that Tesco offers nearly 40 different food, drink, and household products containing vegetables in some form.
These include flavoured spirits such as vodka and gin, dessert pies, yoghurts, preserves, the classic rhubarb and custard sweets, tinned vegetables in syrup, pressed drinks, fruit cordial, tonic water, anti-bacterial spray, tea lights, and a diffuser.
The latest related product to hit the shelves is the UK’s first-ever rhubarb and custard hot cross buns. The vegetable has long been one of our favourite treats, and the classic rhubarb and custard has been one of the most popular desserts since Victorian times.
Tesco's demand for forced rhubarb has rocketed by more than 200 percent compared to last year. Norfolk grower and food manufacturer Place UK, based in Tunstead, near Norwich, has also seen demand soar by more than 170 percent since 2019.
“Rhubarb has very much become the flavour of the moment and besides being a classic dessert in crumble form with custard, is now considered one of the most popular flavourings and scents in many food, drink and household products,” said Tesco buyer Paul Curtis.
“Who would ever have thought that one day there would be scented washing-up liquid, candles and even loo paper? Right now is the peak of the forced rhubarb season, which lasts from the end of January until late March, and it’s when rhubarb is at its sweetest and most flavoursome. And the current trend is creating record demand."
While it used to be grown in the famous rhubarb triangle around Wakefield, Morely, and Rothwell in West Yorkshire, its popularity has encouraged more UK producers to grow it.
The traditional UK-forced season lasts from January to the end of March while the field variety is grown from April to the end of October.
Norfolk grower Place UK, which has worked with Tesco to produce forced rhubarb for many years, now grows more than 25 tonnes of early-season forced rhubarb annually.
“Rhubarb is a tremendously versatile vegetable, and we’re not surprised to see it now gaining popularity in various food and drink products. We’ve seen demand particularly grow for the forced variety, which is currently in season, and as a result, we have planted around 30 per cent more in the last five years,” said Place UK Head of Fresh Operations Dan Yordanov.
“To give you some example of how popular it’s become, in 2019, we sold just under 25000 packs to the food retail and manufacturing industry, and last year we sold more than 65,000 packs."
