U.K.: purple carrots go on sale at Tesco
Tesco has turned back time with its unique introduction of purple carrots originally popularized in 17th century Britain. 
Cultivated in Cambridgeshire by 23-year-old twin farmers Toby and Oliver Bartlett, the Purple Bushytop carrots are on sale in Tesco stores across the U.K. as part of the retailer's pledge to source local British fresh produce.
Colored purple with flecks of orange the carrots are sweet, do not require peeling and are sold in a £1 (US$ 1.64) bunch with foliage attached.
Farmer Toby Bartlett says the carrots are amongst the freshest available on the British market because they are picked using a bespoke designed rig which harvests and packs carrots is under one minute.
"We are always looking for new and different varieties of carrots and thought this variety could be something new and exciting to offer customers," he said in a release.
"The carrots are packed in less than 60 second from being pulled from the ground, so they must be some of the freshest carrots you can buy."
The Purple Bushytops are one of several new home-grown produce lines championed by Tesco this fall and will be an extraordinary addition to the supermarket’s vegetable range, according to Tesco produce buyer Emma Williams.
"We are absolutely delighted to be selling Purple Bushytop carrots. They’re not only visually striking but are incredibly tasty, especially when roasted," she said in a release.
"These carrots are a fantastic example of how perceptions have changed around what a carrot should look like. Originally purple in the 17th century, we are bringing back a little bit of history."
The release adds that the purple coloring offers additional health benefits to consumers by providing anti-inflammatory properties and anti-oxidants.
The retailer’s vast produce sourcing team works directly with around 1,000 U.K. farmers as well as 500 local suppliers. So far in 2014 Tesco has introduced a raft of British produce including home-grown watermelons, pink fleshed Surprize apple and white asparagus usually grown in Europe.
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