|
The old adage of making hay while the sun shines might soon be better adapted in Britain to making wine, or tea, or tacos and tortillas.
Don't laugh. British wine farmers are taking the UK out of yuk. There are now around 400 British vineyards, mainly in southern England and Wales. This year they should produce around 14,500 hectolitres of wine. That's almost two million bottles. Most of it retails for more than £4 a bottle, and some commands Champagne-like prices.
Of course, this is barely a drop compared to the 12 million hectolitres recorded by HM Customs & Excise, but the growth rate from 2001 to the present, 38%, compares nicely with that market as a whole, which grew 22% over the same period. (And don't the brewers know it!)
But the warmer drier weather, including the warmest October on record just ended, has brought other exotics to British shores. Cornwall now has the country's first tea estate to provide the liquid part of the cream teas for which the country is famous.
Tregothnan, a long-established source of plants for professional gardeners, especially camellias, harvested its first crop this year. Tea, being a type of camellia, seems well-suited to conditions in Cornwall.
 The unique beverage commands a unique price. The unblended tea goes for £550/kg, while blends with Indian and China teas go for £180 and £350/kg in 100g caddies. If you fancy growing your own, the nursery is selling cuttings. But be prepared to wait; they take five years to reach the harvestable stage.
Meanwhile, Greyfriars has just harvested Yorkshire's first commercial crop of sweetcorn for Morrisons, the retail chain. Although fairly common in the south of England, this is the first time sweetcorn has been grown commercially so far north. And without a subsidy.
 The motivation is obvious: at 12 pence per cob and an acre yielding 10,000 cobs, that's £24,000 from the 20 acres, which is a lot better than the more traditional cereal crops from the region.
Of course, corn on the cob isn't the only option for would-be maize growers. Industrial uses of maize are growing by leaps, from biodegradable packaging materials, to sweeteners for beverages and foods to fuel oil, to mention just some.
It is early days for exotic products like the above, but each helps a fraction to reduce the number air-miles Britain's foods and beverages travel to the consumer.
So while global warming is undoubtedly bad news for polar bears, Britain's farmers could reap some unexpected windfalls.
Until next time.
--
Ian Grant
|
