UK retailer Marks & Spencer is selling a new variety of avocado, which doesn’t contain a pesky stone in the centre.
The ‘cocktail avocado’ is a small, elongated fruit that is approximately five to eight centimetres in length and develops without a seed.
Additionally, unlike normal avocados, the skin is edible, meaning that the fruit can be eaten whole.
This variety is grown in Spain, and a limited supply is available only during the month of December. However, M&S says that it has been able to exclusively source a small number of the avocados this year.
“This amazing fruit has been on our radar for a couple of years, and we’re very excited to have finally been able to get hold of some for our customers to try,” said Charlotte Curtis, M&S agronomist. “We’ve had the mini, the giant, ready-sliced, and we’re now launching the Holy Grail of avocados – stoneless!”
Avocado Trends
Sales of avocados have soared in recent years, as the fruit has become more popular across Europe and the US, and retailers in the UK have been trying to introduce the latest innovations into their stores.
Both M&S and Tesco have stocked mini avocados, while the latter also introduced a new gourmet variety earlier this year.
In June, M&S made headlines when it announced that it was introducing avocados with laser-printed bar codes, in order to reduce paper waste in its stores.
The retailer's new cocktail avocados are now available in selected M&S stores, at a price of £2 per pack.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
