- ‘Rainbow caulis’ hand-pollinated in Peterborough field by cross-breeding ancient varieties – a process than can take years to perfect
- As well as brightening up bland meals, the varieties are packed with antioxidants and vitamins so are healthier than regular type, farmer says
- Farmer Andrew Burgess hopes creations will get people eating vegetables
- ‘Our ultimate goal is to try to create healthy, appealing vegetables that people want eat more of,’ Mr Burgess, 48, said today
By Lizzie Edmonds
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A farmer has created purple, green and orange varieties of cauliflower in a bid to get more people eating vegetables.
The ‘rainbow’ caulis are part of Andrew Burgess’ plan to improve the diets of people across the country by making the vegetables more appetising.
The 48-year-old has set aside a small patch of land in Peterborough to grow his experimental vegetables – which took him years to develop.
Bright idea: Farmer Andrew Burgess has created three colourful varieties of cauliflower – called Grafitti, top, Ortoli, left, and Vitaverde, right – in a bid to get more people eating vegetables
The weird and wonderful creations, which are all organic, are made by cross-breeding ancient varieties. All of the hybrids were hand-pollinated by Mr Burgess, who farms 15,000 acres in total.
As well as brightening up everyday dishes, the colourful vegetables are also healthier than regular cauliflowers.
The purple variety, called Grafitti, is packed with antioxidants while the orange ones, called Ortoli, contain carotene – a form of vitamin A that encourages healthy skin.
The green variety, Vitaverde, is a hybrid cauliflower with similar features to broccoli and so is high in vitamin C and fibre.
Mr Burgess, who is director of agriculture for his family business Produce World, said: ‘We started off growing the coloured cauliflowers for show.
‘The purple and the green varieties tasted just like normal cauliflower but then we found the orange ones had a really nutty flavour.
Long process: The organic vegetables are created by cross-breeding ancient varieties and were all hand-pollinated by the farmer – who said the colourful varieties took years to develop
‘We created the colours by cross-breeding. We pick out the various traits we want, then hybridise the variety to make sure they are stable.
‘It takes a long time to develop different varieties though – some can take up to five years to get right.
‘The cauliflowers are grown over half a dozen plots in the test field, which works out about a quarter of an acre.
‘Next year I will step up the orange cauliflowers with the hope that they could be on supermarket shelves in the near future.
‘One idea we had was to sell the caulis ready floreted, perhaps as a mixed colour bag.
Unusual: The purple Grafitti cauliflower, pictured, is packed with antioxidants
Weird and wonderful: The green variety, Vitaverde, left, is similar to broccoli and is high in vitamin C. The orange variety, called Ortoli, right, is nutty in flavour and contains carotene that encourages healthy skin.
‘There are health and taste benefits but also it’s about making food a bit more fun.
‘Growing is a passion for me. I enjoy my job so much it is more like a hobby – I love to discover new things.
‘Every other year I take a trip to a different part of the world in search of new ideas and new varieties.
HOW DO THE CAULIS GROW?
The cauliflower is a member of the Brassica oleracea species – which also includes broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and kale.
There are hundreds of varieties of cauliflower – which is grown around the world.
The unusual vegetables were originally developed for show, but Mr Burgess soon realised they could be produced on a mass scale.
The colours are created by cross-breeding. The farmer would pick out a desired trait in a variety and would then breed that with another to create a hybrid product.
Although it sounds reasonably straight forward, it can take a long time to develop – with the farmer saying it can take up to five years to get right.
Mr Burgess grows the cauliflowers over half a dozen plots in a test field, which works out about a quarter of an acre.
He hopes the orange variety – with its distinct nutty taste – will be in supermarkets within the year.
‘If I see something I like that I think might work I bring it home and experiement with it in the trial field – it’s like my playground.
‘If I think we can grow it successfully we will try maybe an acre and if that goes well we will scale it up.
‘The idea behind the trial field is to change people’s perceptions of vegetables.
‘If we ate a healthier diet with more vegetables we could save the country millions of pounds but we have to convince people to do that.
‘Our ultimate goal is to try to create healthy, appealing vegetables that people want eat more of.’
The cauliflower is a member of the Brassica oleracea species which also includes broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and kale.
There are hundreds of varieties of cauliflower being grown around the world.
The vegetable is known for being low in fat and carbohydrates but high in vitamin C and dietery fibre.
The Burgess’ farming business produces 500,000 tonnes of vegetables each year and employs 1,000 staff.
Mr Burgess is the latest in a long line of farmers in the family, who started growing vegetables in 1898.
The Produce World company boomed in the years following the Second World War as the nation emerged from rationing.
On the shelves: Mr Burgess, pictured on his farm in Peterborough, hopes the orange variety will be stocked in supermarkets within the year
Good golly what a cauli! Humble cauliflower transformed into vivid colours by farmer in his experimental vegetable field
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