Tesco is to help prevent a potential lemon shortage by putting a greener version of the fruit on its supermarket shelves.

Despite the skin being slightly green the fruit is still as crisp and zesty as you'd find as when they completely turn yellow.

But now Tesco has lifted the colour quality specifications for lemons in a move that will also help offset food waste in the home by adding up to an extra two days shelf life to the fruit as it turns yellow.

The shortage has been caused by significantly reduced end of season volume in Spain, from where the UK gets the bulk of its lemons until the end of spring, which has reduced availability to UK retailers.

Traditionally in late June the South African lemon season starts which then takes over as the UK's main supply source.

But Tesco will now take the greener South African lemons earlier than usual to keep supplies going.

Tesco citrus fruit buyer Savia Weidinger explains:

“These greener lemons that we now have on sale are already mature and perfect tasting inside but need longer for the skin to turn yellow.   

“With the South African crop that happens towards the end of June as evenings cool which helps the fruit to colour up.

“The move not only means that shoppers will again be easily able to buy a fruit that is growing in popularity but they will gain extra freshness.”

The move should be popular with customers as lemons have jumped in popularity by nearly 10 per cent in the last year with more people using them in recipes and juicing.

Tesco has committed to making sure no good food goes to waste and works with farmers and suppliers to adjust crop specifications.

The greener lemons will be available in 800 tesco stores across the UK.

Philippine Airlines today launched the Filipino Food Festival in London, a culinary celebration running throughout June with over 20 restaurants, supperclubs, pop-ups, food stalls and chefs taking part across the capital.

A rich tapestry of Indian, Malay, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Pacific Islander and American influences, Filipino cuisine has been heralded as “the original fusion cuisine” by VOGUE and the next big food trend by top chef Anthony Bourdain.

Offers include an exclusive tasting menu with free-flowing prosecco cocktails at Romulo Café, High St. Kensington, an island-inspired tasting experience at MBER in The City and bespoke cocktails at select venues from official drinks partner Don Papa - a premium aged, small batch rum from the Philippines. For the chance to win return flights to The Philippines, diners simply need to upload a snap of their meals via Instagram using the hashtag #FilipinoFoodFestival.

Philippine Airlines are offering special fares to coincide with the festival, with return flights to Manila starting from £523 with all taxes included. As the nation's first and only four-star airline as rated by Skytrax, the carrier aims to reach five-star status by 2020. This programme includes an array of improvements and innovations to all onboard food and beverages.

Philippine Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo said “One of the most exciting aspects of cultural diplomacy is culinary diplomacy. By offering the distinctive flavours and colours of the Filipino cuisine, we hope to entice participants to this festival to discover more of the Philippines, preferably by spending a holiday on one of our islands.”

Philippine Airlines Country Manager David Cochrane said “Much like the rich cultural diversity of Filipino food, PAL brings together East and West with our daily non-stop flights between London and Manila. As official airline of The Filipino Food Festival, we are proud to present the flavours of the Philippines both in the air and on the ground.”London's First Filipino Food Festival runs from 5th-30th June.

Alzheimer’s Society’s first ever Cupcake Day pop up experience has been embarking on a mini tour of the UK ahead of Cupcake Day on Thursday 14 June. Starting its journey in Newcastle, it visited Birmingham on Thursday 7th June.

The pop up was situated in Birmingham city centre on Edgbaston Street between the Bullring and Markets. Alzheimer’s Society staff were distributing free Cupcakes to the public and talking to them about dementia. Hundreds of Cupcakes were handed out to people who were encouraged to get involved in Cupcake Day and join the fight against dementia.

Anne-Marie Heeney from Birmingham said: “It’s so great to see something like this where it’s so visual and can start a conversation about dementia. I think that conversations about dementia don’t have to be depressing.”

People were able to enjoy free hand-finished cupcakes, supplied by The Cake Crew, get creative at a special ‘Glam Your Cupcake’ station and speak with Dementia Advisers about any concerns they might have.

Carol Bowsher, Dementia Adviser for Alzheimer’s Society was in attendance. She said: “I spoke with a woman who was worried about her mother. She wasn’t sure about what sort of symptoms she should be looking for and we discussed that perhaps a general health check could be beneficial.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s Cupcake Day raises funds to support people affected by dementia. Recently, Alzheimer’s Society joined forces with Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Government to fund the UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute.

Emma Dowler, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society said: “We have had a fantastic time handing out Cupcakes to the public to celebrate the oncoming Cupcake Day. It’s great to see Birmingham uniting against dementia.”

In the UK, there are 850,000 people living with dementia and more than 10,000 people live with the condition in Birmingham and Solihull. It is estimated that dementia costs the UK economy over £26 billion per year. Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes.. Each cupcake will help Alzheimer’s Society find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.

Simon Tregunna, visiting Birmingham from Cornwall, stopped to talk at the Cupcake Day experience. He said: “This Cupcake Day experience is a good idea and raises awareness. My mother-in-law has become more forgetful recently and we are worried about her memory. Where I’m from, it’s bit of a wait to see a GP, it’s sketchy.”

Alzheimer’s Society is urging everyone to unite against dementia with their families, friends and colleagues, by baking or buying cupcakes to raise vital funds. People can celebrate Cupcake Day on 14 June or mark the occasion another time in the month. Alzheimer’s Society welcomes everyone in uniting against dementia by signing up for Cupcake Day at www.cupcakeday.org.uk

Ostrich eggs arrive in selected Waitrose branches.

Giant British ostrich eggs are making their annual appearance exclusively at selected Waitrose branches this week - perfect timing if you're preparing a big breakfast or brunch this weekend.

Weighing in at a mighty 2 kg (4.4lbs), one ostrich egg is equivalent to 24 large hen eggs. It takes 50 minutes to perfectly boil an ostrich egg, which makes a wonderful centrepiece with toast or asparagus soldiers.

The ostrich eggs are laid seasonally on a farm in Lincolnshire and the birds are precise in the manner in which they lay them. The dominant female will lay around 7-10 eggs in the centre of the nest and the other females place their eggs to the outside. Both the female and male birds take turns to incubate the eggs, which can take up to 42 days.

Ostrich eggs are part of Waitrose's range of speciality eggs - the largest selection available at a UK supermarket - which includes delicate Quails eggs, Braddock Whites duck eggs and Old Cotswold Legbars hen eggs.

Jay Ledwich, egg buyer at Waitrose said, “Our customers love to eggs-periment with different ingredients. Although traditional hen's eggs are a shopping list staple, our range of speciality eggs make a lovely treat. Our ostrich or ducks eggs are perfect for a big birthday breakfast or weekend brunch.”

Last month the supermarket introduced Cornish Blue Duck Eggs, from wild mallard ducks on a Cornish farm, which are available until mid-June, priced at £2.75 (6 eggs). Also in the range are turkey eggs, which are available until mid-August, priced at £2.99 (2 eggs).

Waitrose boasts the largest selection of speciality eggs on supermarket shelves. Quail's eggs are available all year and the rarer eggs are available in selected branches for a few months at a time. The Clarence Court Ostrich egg is £19.99 and The Clarence Court Goose Egg is £6.99 each.

Hot on the heels of introducing its biggest ever range of meat-free foods in October 2017, Waitrose is set to expand its selection of vegan and vegetarian food. The supermarket will increase its total vegan and vegetarian assortment by 60%.

Among the 50 new products are two exclusive brands, The Happy Pear – created by renowned plant-based and whole food chef duo David and Stephen Flynn, and The Vegetarian Butcher - a Dutch company specialising in meat substitutes, made using plant-based proteins.

Kantar UK Insights predict 2018 to be the year Brits go vegan, also noting it is the year that plant-based diets go mainstream. Waitrose is seeing this reflected in its sales of vegetarian food, up 34% against the same time last year.

In a supermarket first, the retailer will have a dedicated vegan section, which will be signposted in its shops. In total, the range will feature 125 ingredients, ready meals and other meat-free products designed to make shopping easier for customers looking for vegetarian and vegan options.

Chloe Graves, Waitrose Chilled Vegetarian and Vegan Buyer says, “Our current selection of products has been selling really well week after week, with requests for more choice coming from our customers and Partners, so we could clearly see there was an appetite to have more vegetarian and vegan options in our shops.

“Increasing our range builds on the work we did last year to increase choice for our customers in this area. We are working with some fantastic exclusive brands to ensure our shoppers have a really unique selection of food to choose from.

“With flexitarianism also on the rise, we have made sure we have dishes and ingredients for those looking to opt for a meat-free meal, that was suitable for the whole family to enjoy.”

David and Stephen Flynn, The Happy Pear co-founders said: “We are chuffed to be entering the UK market with our products and really honoured to be working with Waitrose to expand its vegan range. Our great-tasting, vegan products are all made from natural ingredients and are great for all lifestyles and those wanting to eat more veg.

“We have been working with Waitrose since 2016, creating vegan recipe videos and on customer events, and this is a great, growing partnership, which supports our mission to help people live healthier and happier lives.”

The range, which launches in Waitrose from Monday 4th June, will see an increase of products available in all shops, with 134 branches with a vegan bay.

Brits admit that they are too reserved and embarrassed to ‘slurp’ ramen, the traditional way to enjoy the popular Japanese broth dish, in new research released by The City Kitchen.

More than two thirds (67%) of GB adults stated that they would not slurp ramen noodles in the traditional way even after being made aware of the benefits. Nearly half of all respondents (48%) admitted one of the reasons they’d be less likely to slurp their ramen is because they would be too embarrassed, and more than a third (39%) thought that it would be an unusual thing to do in the UK.

Slurping ramen is thought to be the best way to enjoy ramen as it aerates the noodles, helping the flavours of the ramen fully develop in the mouth and also improves the taste of the broth. By eating quickly in this way, the meal can also be enjoyed while it is hot.

The new YouGov research with more than 2,000 GB adults was commissioned by chilled ready meal range The City Kitchen to mark the launch of its new Chicken Miso Ramen and a campaign to encourage Brits to slurp their ramen.

A The City Kitchen spokesperson said: “It might be a little messy and loud but slurping ramen really is the best way to appreciate all the flavours of this amazing dish. We encourage anyone to give slurping a try!”

Nearly half of the research respondents (44%) would be put off slurping by the ‘unpleasant sound’, and nearly the same amount (42%) thought it would be too messy. Peer pressure helps, as more than a third (43%) admitted they would slurp if the people they were eating with were also slurping.

The research also revealed:

• Over two thirds (71%) did not know that ramen is traditionally slurped.
• More than three quarters (86%) of full time students were aware of ramen, while only 15% of retirees had heard of the noodle broth.
• While those aged 18 – 24 (79%) were the most likely to know about ramen, they were also among the least likely to slurp ramen in public (such as at a restaurant), with just 16% stating they would be likely to give slurping in public a go.

The new City Kitchen Chicken Ramen Bowl is based on a traditional Japanese recipe of Hokkaido Miso Broth and features Udon noodles and Choi sum. To help encourage ramen fans to slurp their noodles, The City Kitchen has launched a new competition in partnership with popular YouTuber, xAmeliax (Amelia Goodhead), to win a £600 Secret Escapes voucher. To be in with a chance of winning, entrants are being asked to submit a video of themselves slurping ramen.

The City Kitchen is a travel-inspired chilled ready meal range available exclusively in Tesco. In addition to the Chicken Miso Ramen, a Vegetable Gyoza & Shiitake Broth, Sweet and Sour Passion Fruit Chicken, Thai Chilli Sticky Pork, Brazilian Coconut Chicken and a vegetarian Paneer Butter Masala have also been added to the range.

Lucy Verity, culinary development chef at The City Kitchen commented: “We take inspiration from cuisines around the world to create our dishes and our new meals are no exception. As one of Japan’s most popular dishes, we are really proud to bring our take on ramen to UK foodies.”