UK retailer M&S is replacing Spanish melons with a British-grown variety from Staffordshire, after the uncharacteristic hot summer weather triggered a bumper crop of the fruit.
M&S introduced this year's crop of British-grown Galia melons last week, which helped to push sales of the variety up by 20%.
The melons come from David and Stephen McGuffie, who have supplied M&S with the exotic fruit for the past four years after visiting melon farmers in Spain and developing their own system using plastic tunnels.
M&S fruit expert Bill Davies said, "We have a huge customer following for British melons who have been asking us for weeks when this year's crop will go on sale.
"We know our customers like to buy British fruit where possible so this is a great way of bringing them this delicious tropical fruit with the added bonus that it is grown in the UK."
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
