Tesco has discovered aster is now one of the UK’s fastest growing gifting bouquets – and the supermarket giant is acting on the research as a result.
Tesco has discovered aster is now one of the UK’s fastest growing gifting bouquets – and the supermarket giant is acting on the research as a resul.
Tesco is making a big change for shoppers who buy flowers at tills. Tesco has discovered aster is now one of the UK’s fastest growing gifting bouquets – and the supermarket giant is acting on the research as a result.
Tesco has reported demand rocketing by nearly 350 per cent over the last two sales years. To help supply demand, L&D Flowers based in Pinchbeck, near Spalding, Lincolnshire, have grown an incredible five million stems for this season.
Tesco Flowers expert and technical manager Jamie Simpson explains: “Asters are glorious flowers that have only recently come back into vogue with growers but that, in just two years, have made a sensational impact with shoppers.
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“Aster Matsumoto which are also known as Japanese Aster, bear beautiful, large daisy-like flower heads and come in many different colours such as blue, purple, pink, dark pink, red, and white all with a bright yellow centre.
“We first started selling asters in 2022, not only because they look lovely but also because they are such great value for money.
“In that first year we sold 215,000 bunches but they became so popular so quickly that last year we sold 500,000.
“This year we hope to sell nearly double that.”
James Lacey, Managing Director at L&D Flowers said: “Similar to a lot of fruit grown in the UK this year we have experienced a bumper crop of asters this summer because of all the sunshine and extra hours of daylight.
“We only started growing asters three years ago as a result of the success we have had with sunflowers but we’ve really been taken back by just how popular the flower has become in so short a space of time.
“In 2022, to start with, we planted enough asters to create 100,000 bunches which we’ve been told flew off the shelves.
“This year we’ve grown enough for 1.2 million bunches which is an increase of 1100 per cent on our initial planting.
“We grow the asters on the grade one silt soils of south Lincolnshire which are not only very fertile but also retain moisture well which has helped us through all the heatwaves which we have had this summer.”
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