Following shortly in the footsteps of news surrounding the impending availability of turkey eggs through premium retailer Waitrose, it transpires that the upmarket food vendor has also started selling edible flowers.

Targeted at shoppers wishing to take their salad dishes to new dimensions, the long over-looked edible flowers are currently making their debut at a Waitrose supermarket in Lincoln.

Amongst a new line of intriguing salad ingredients, the mauve violas are apparently mild in taste whilst the yellow nasturtiums reportedly have a more peppery flavour. Not only can these colourful botanicals add an attractive element to salads, they can also be used to adorn cocktail creations, cakes and desserts.

Sale of the blooms has been triggered by the likes of top chefs such as Heston Blumenthal demonstrating how they can enhance their culinary masterpieces using them. Other botanical ingredients such as dandelion, hogweed and amaranth leaves have recently appeared on the menus of London Michelin-starred eateries Helene Darroze at The Connaught as well as at the Hibiscus.

And it appears that the nation may already be embracing the concept of edible flowers, with sales in DIY chain store B&Q up a reported 25 per cent on the previous year and Waitrose’s move well timed to tap the growing momentum amongst consumers.

Rhonwen Cunningham, buyer for Waitrose’s salad category, commented on previous interest in edible flowers, “They were a popular food a few hundred years ago and we’re now seeing a renewed interest in eating these traditional English garden ingredients.”

Posted by Hayley on the 11th May 2011