Work is underway and we hope to be back in our proper shop in Labour In Vain Yard sometime in March 2019. We will be open in the temporary shop in Lower Goat Lane  until the move back. Thanks for bearing with us throughout this traumatic year.

Happy New Year to everyone. I am sure that this year will bring continued interest in packaging methods of all types and vegans of most types. Both of these 2018 trends have become established influences and unlike tape cassettes and Nigel Farage, look like they will be around to stay and will successfully integrate into the mainstream. What is less clear, at time of writing, is the path that our relationship with Europe will progress down. The date for the UK exit is the same as that for the end of this pricelist but with three defeats in the House last night it is impossible to know what is going to happen and, of course, just as hard to plan for it. Its not all doom and gloom, especially with Norwich at the top of the Championship table (where will they be I wonder when you read this?) but this event will undoubtedly change the course of wholefood wholesaling and retailing very substantially.

Almonds: Sales are down but Californian packers are confident and keeping their prices firm. If the crop comes in at only 2.25 billion lbs. then the price will remain high. All will be revealed when the bloom happens in February. Cashews: With high prices and the commodity on the high end of historic prices, cashews are looking dear to buyers who have alternatives so the snack market is beginning to look elsewhere. Some coordinated planning may be needed to reverse this situation especially as there is the potential for lower nut prices generally in 2019.

Walnuts: The weather has been comparatively moderate this year so Californian walnuts look set for an excellent crop of around 700,000mt. The China/US trade war (or not) may affect this market if tariffs come into play. Brazils: A publicity campaign to promote the health giving properties of brazils was so successful in South Korea that this is now the world’s biggest market for this commodity. Whether our domestic market ever recovers from the sky high prices of last year remains to be seen. Apricots: The Turkish Lira is recovering against the US Dollar and crop levels are unsure. Figs: Generally there are shortages of stock due to currency. Sunflower: The Bulgarian crop looks good but the Chinese one has been affected by flooding. Demand for Eastern European product may well increase and push prices up a little.  Pumpkin Seed: Again flooding in China has affected this crop but although this will decrease the crop there is plenty of stock around  so the market is reasonably stable albeit at a quite high prices.