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Celebrate Summer with the Freshest British Salad Leaves of the Season
 Nothing tastes like summer more than a delicious, healthy, fresh salad. So take advantage of the wonderful selection of British salad leaves available during the UK season, which runs right through from May till October.
There is a vast array of flavours, textures and colours to suit all tastes from the sweet, mild Romaine, frilly Red Oak Leaf, crunchy Iceberg, soft and mild round lettuce and nutrient rich spicy brassicas, such as Watercress and Rocket.
British farmers are constantly trialling new varieties - the latest generation of salad leaves includes an exciting range of high density leaf mini lettuces, a cross between a baby salad leaf and a traditional lettuce, with small bite size leaves which are all the same size; Red Gem and Ruby Gem are new colourful alternatives to the traditional Little Gem; Midi Cos is a slightly sweeter, smaller Cos lettuce.; and Gourmet Medley is a triple headed lettuce in one pack.
Currently being tested in the field and due on the shelf next year are three more varieties - Deer Tongue, with boat shaped pointed red leaves (ideal for serving food in as a canapé) and Red and Green Ice, twists on the top selling Iceberg.
After two poor summers when wet weather dampened sales, salad farmers are hoping these new varieties will help revolutionise the salad sector, much in the same way that salad bags did several decades ago.
With over 50 different varieties to choose from there’s every reason to turn over a new leaf this summer. Make a main meal of salad leaves – add fruit, nuts, and pieces of chicken or other cooked meats for a satisfying, warm dish. Throw some leaves together with fridge leftovers, for a fuss-free, no cook evening meal, or use in wraps, baps and sandwiches, for a nutrient-packed lunch.
The UK climate is perfectly suited to growing salad leaves, which flourish in an even temperature, cooled by costal breezes. There are around 14,000 acres of salad farms, stretching across the vale of Evesham, the South Coast, East Anglia, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, the West Midlands and Hampshire. The majority of salads are grown outdoors, where the sun helps to produce the all important antioxidants and vitamins, which are needed by the body to mop up harmful, free radicals. The darker the leaves, the higher the level of antioxidants will be.
With health professionals now urging us to ‘eat a rainbow’, at least one fruit or vegetable from each of the colour bands, what better dish than a salad? Just one cereal bowl (80g) of salad counts as one of our five portions of fruit and veg, making salad one of the easiest ways to achieve your 5 a day.
To help you tell your Rocket from your Radicchio, your Midi Cos from your Multi Leaf or your Red Gem from your Red Chard, here is a quick and easy guide to the best of British salads on offer or for recipes and more information visit www.britishleafysalads.co.uk
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