The new wonky rhubarb range also helps out farmers who are now able to sell their whole crop to Morrisons – which includes the 40 per cent which might previously have gone to waste.
The rhubarb is considered wonky because the stalks are wind scarred, they are different shapes, and there may be some blemishing.
However with their unusual short, long or thin or kinky stems, the wonky rhubarb tastes just as good as the standard variety but would usually be discarded from the crop.
Naturally grown outdoor rhubarb is in season from April through to October, and its appearance marks the start of the summer vegetable season.
Morrisons only sells in-season British grown rhubarb from Yorkshire’s famous Rhubarb Triangle.
Picture: Morrisons wonky rhubarb, supplied
Wonky rhubarb arrives after Morrisons’ recent promise to sell more wonky, over-sized, under-sized and blemished seasonal fruit and veg after listening to customers’ continuing concerns about food waste.
Drew Kirk, Head of Fruit at Morrisons said: “No-one likes to see good food go to waste. And, as a business with Yorkshire roots, we’ve got a soft spot for Yorkshire rhubarb and we want as many people as possible to give it a try.
“Our wonky range helps farmers reduce waste and at the same time helps customers to save money on their shopping.”
Last year, Morrisons sold 109 tonnes of British grown rhubarb. With the addition of the wonky variety, the supermarket expects to sell 60 tonnes more, this year.
Wonky fruit and veg occurs for a number of reasons such as poor weather conditions.
Products will have been selected from farmers’ crops because they are mis-shapen, have skin blemishes or growth cracks, or are much smaller or larger than average.
In most cases, wonky will taste the same as Class One veg, and enables growers to sell their whole crop and therefore reduce edible food waste.
