No longer relegated to side dish status, this year sees salads taking centre-stage on customer's summer tables and when it comes to the leaves – sales data suggests ‘the greener the better’.
Sainsbury’s Baby Spinach is the best-selling salad bag, Sainsbury’s Wild Rocket is at number three, with mixed salad bags - that combine a selection of different leaves - also a popular choice.
Sales of perennial favourite Iceberg remain steady and it is still has a place in the top ten sellers but the growth of darker green options suggests a broader consumer desire to embrace these nutrient-rich leaves. Sales trends at Sainsbury’s shows dark green varieties like spinach, rocket and watercress are among those growing the fastest
Year on year salad bag sales are below:
Mixed Leaf +92% (a mix of Red Multileaf, Green Multileaf, Green Batavia & Radicchio)
Watercress +52%
Bistro +27% (a mix of Lambs Lettuce, Beetroot, Red Chard & Bulls Blood Chard)
Rocket +20%
Sweet leaf mix +20% (a mix of Iceberg Lettuce, Carrot, Romaine Lettuce & White Cabbage)
Spinach +19%
With the rise in recipes inviting us to fill salads with as much flavour and texture as possible, one thing is clear; consumers can’t get enough of salads. They’re a great way to combine lots of flavours in a fresh, simple and tasty meal, with so many possibilities for flavour and texture combinations – they’re the one-pot of the summer months.