Knockout sprouts - Boston area in spotlight after helping grow sprouts 25 per cent bigger than last year's offerings

TH Clements​, of Benington, was named by Tesco as one of two suppliers that have been producing the Brussels with muscles.

The supermarket chain also reported that this year’s sprouts are likely to be noticeably tastier this year, as well, thanks to a combination of good growing conditions and new varieties that are more suited to the UK climate and soil.

The chain said it has been working with suppliers like TH Clements and Drysdale, in Berwickshire, Scotland, on finding hardier versions of the festive staple.

It follows a challenging growing season last year, when heavy rainfall in late November and through December led to a poorer than normal yield and crop, it said.

News of the sprouts with added clout was reported nationwide, with The Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Mirror, and The Independent among the newspapers to cover it.

Tesco expects to sell about 1.5 million kg of sprouts in the two weeks before Christmas. This works out at three sprouts for every person in the country, it says.

Tesco sprout buyer Simon Tenwick said: “We’ve been working hard this year to bring in new varieties that have helped us deliver a better tasting sprout with a crunchier texture and perfect size.

“The quality of the festive crop that has been coming through in the last few weeks is among the best we’ve had in recent years and we are certain sprout fans will be delighted.”

​TH Clements said that poor harvesting conditions in 2023 led to the average sprout size being 24mm in diameter, but this year, thanks to the new varieties, they are 30mm.

Last year, heavy rainfall continued throughout much of the autumn as a result of Storm Babet, and instead of the colder weather needed to ‘finish off’ the sprouts in late November and early December, it continued to be mild and wet.

TH Clements commercial director John Moulding said: “This year we’ve pretty much had a reversal in growing conditions to 2023 with the right amounts of warmth and sunshine during the summer months after they were planted, good amounts of rain during the autumn and now colder weather in December.

“We’ve worked hard over the last 12 months to improve, not only this year’s, but future crop yields, starting by the selection of new land to plant the sprouts – the alluvial silts, only found on the east coast of Lincolnshire.”

“The silts are situated in different growing areas that all have their own microclimates and coastal frost protection. Sprouts enjoy the breeze of the coast that gives frost protection,” he added.

In the run-up to Christmas, TH Clements will run up to 16 harvesters, working around the clock, to provide the UK with 192 million sprouts.

The company says it is committed to achieving carbon neutral status by 2040 and investing in modern farming techniques which work with nature.