Is pineapple the new avocado?

Move over avocados. Pineapple is the hot new fruit.

The 5pm Dining blog has been spoiled for news stories this week. They have ranged from the serious - the bottle return scheme - to the tongue-in-cheek furore about the supposed rudeness of French waiters.

However, our attention was most piqued by a press release from Tesco which led with the line that 'pineapples have suddenly become Britain’s fastest growing fruit with demand at an all-time high'.

While avocado restaurants like Glasgow's Avo Avo may have been gobbling up all the press attention, it seems as though pineapple has been quietly but steadily eating the avo's lunch.

Pineapple sales growing faster than avocado's

Apparently, the pineapple has overtaken avocado as the UK’s fastest-selling fruit. In 2017, pineapple sales surged by 15% while avocado sales grew by a more spindly 10%. Smashed avocado on toast may be the star of a million Insta posts but pineapple's versatility has been boosting sales.

Tesco fresh pineapple buyer Morgan Jaquemet said:

'Pineapples have become the fruit taste of the moment. They could soon rival the avocado as a once niche fruit suddenly gaining mainstream popularity.

'In the last few years we have seen demand jump because of the fruit’s rising popularity as a versatile and healthy food. It’s even made its way onto the BBQ in the summer months now.

'We’ve been focused on making it easy for our customers to enjoy this fruit. We have introduced a range of prepared snacking pineapple cut into finger-sized shapes which are popular as a healthy lunchbox treat for school kids.

'Last year we even sold pineapples at Halloween as a rival to the pumpkin for kids to carve into a scary face.'

Apparently, sales of pineapple juice are up by more than 20 per cent and sales of snack-sized slices of the fruit are up a stonking 30%.

Pizza abomination

Of course, this is all well and good. However, it seems that there has been a dark side to pineapple's new found popularity.

Yes, I'm afraid so. Sales of Hawaiian pizza, a.k.a. the food of the Devil, are up 15%.

Come back avocado. All is forgiven.