News

The popularity of wholefoods has grown over the last couple of years with more people becoming aware of how and where their food is produced.

EVS worked with Rijk Zwaan and dutch grower Mark Dellisen, Deliscious, to develop a product that would meet these consumer needs and encourage more consumers back into wholehead.

Trio Leaf has three varieties in one head and comes complete with the root still on, preserved in a small compressed block of organic compost.

Trio Leaf stays fresh for up to 10 days and provides the consumer with equal amounts of Lollo Rosso, Lollo Biondo and Red Oak so they get a variety of leaves without the waste associated with buying three heads of lettuce.

Launched for Asda in May 2007, the product has gone from strength to strength. Starting with distribution into only 50 stores, the product soon gained popularity with Asda customers, subsequently it’s now sold in over 170 stores with a further 130 being added this spring.

Consumer feedback has been extremely positive with many consumers writing to us to tell us how delighted they are with this product. Sales have exceeded all expectations and EVS are now selling an average of 25,000 heads per week. In fact, Trio Leaf is now outselling Cos Lettuce in the stores that it is currently sold in. With the additional Asda stores in 2008 and the launch into the Co-op this spring.

EVS estimate that they will be selling in the region of 40,000-60,000 heads per week. One of the many challenges within our industry is the lack of younger growers coming into the business. Many growers are now retiring with no one to take over their businesses. The problem is that many of the lines they grow have become retail commodity lines, whose prices have been pushed down.

Mark Delissen and his brother Roy are superb examples of younger growers who have embraced new technologies and strived to produce a more value adding product. Trio Leaf and hybrids that are now in development will and have changed the way consumers use wholehead lettuce.

Trio Leaf is scheduled to feature in the Asda magazine in August 2008.