London

A speciality food importer and distributor led by Indian-origin managing director Chandresh Patel is on a mission to popularise cucumber in all its forms, including gherkins.

At a recent event at London's iconic Gherkin building in the City of London, the company showcased the UK’s leading gherkin brand Mrs Elswood in its wide varieties and flavours.

The English brand's journey dates back to a 1947 boutique business and is now focused on bringing the flavours of its "closely kept secret" recipes to a wider target market.

“Despite the growing popularity of the humble gherkin, our headroom for growth is massive, with only one in four households currently buying gherkins as part of their regular shop," said Mat Moyes of Mrs Elswood.  

“Overlay this with consumer megatrends around health and sustainability, such as preserving and pickling summer crops, and pickled vegetables look set to play a much larger role in our diets. This leaves Mrs Elswood with a clear mission: to encourage shoppers to put some punch in their lunch,” he said.

Gherkins, effectively small cucumbers used for pickling, are harvested at an earlier stage in the cycle of a cucumber’s journey.  

With Empire Bespoke Foods behind its promotion, some of the Mrs Elswood range is also available in India. Meanwhile, the parent company has been expanding its range of Indian and pan-Asian culinary products since its inception in 1997.

Chandresh Patel's own journey to the UK from Gujarat is seen as mirroring the growth and demand for global gastronomy, with the international food specialist dubbed a “pioneer for world cuisine in the UK”.

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Building on the recent “Great Gherkin Soiree” in London last week, Mrs Elswood plans to champion what she believes is the humble gherkin’s “rightful place at the table” across the UK and beyond.