Edible Blooms Make UK Supermarket Debut

Pots of the blooms are going on sale for the first time at a UK supermarket as fine-dining restaurants increasingly serve up once-unfashionable garden leaves and flowers.

4/18/2011 --- Edible flowers will appear on UK supermarket shelves for the first time in response to growing shopper demand for once-forgotten English garden ingredients.

Mauve-coloured Violas and cheerful yellow Nasturtiums will make their debut in the bagged salad counters of Waitrose from April 19.

They can be scattered on fresh salads or used to add a flourish to cocktails, desserts and cakes.

Pots of the blooms are going on sale for the first time at a UK supermarket as fine-dining restaurants increasingly serve up once-unfashionable garden leaves and flowers.

Dandelion and amaranth leaves were recently on the menu at ‘Helene Darroze at The Connaught’ whilst hogweed made an appearance at Hibiscus. Both venues are two Michelin-starred restaurants in the capital.

Waitrose Salad Buyer Rhonwen Cunningham said: “Violas have a very mild flavour whilst the yellow Nasturtiums taste slightly peppery.

“Edible flowers are not just for decoration, they also have a lovely subtle taste.

“They were a popular food a few hundred years ago and we’re now seeing a renewed interest in eating these traditional English garden ingredients.”

The Chelsea Flower Show next month (May 24 to 28) will inspire more London venues to put edible blooms on their menus.

Previous years saw Roussillon, Tom Aikens and The Dorchester use flowers as ingredients to mark the popular annual event.

Pots of the stalkless edible flowers are launching at Waitrose as part of the supermarket’s new Finishing Touches range of salad ingredients.

Baby coriander and amaranth leaves, micro purple basil leaves and delicious ready-prepared dressings also feature in the 11-strong range.

Pots of Viola blooms and pots of Nasturtium blooms grown in Evesham, Worcestershire, will contain up to 10 flower heads and cost £1.29 each.

They will be available in around 180 branches of Waitrose until September.