Veg Power, the not-for-profit alliance making healthy and sustainable eating easier, announced that it will be partnering with Sakata, Barfoots and Waitrose on a new campaign ‘Better with Butternut’ to celebrate the British butternut season and inspire families to cook with this versatile, nutritious vegetable.
Timed to coincide with the peak British harvest (mid–October through to the end of the month), the campaign features an in-store presence at Waitrose, engaging content, and influencer activity – all designed to highlight how quick and easy butternut squash is to prepare, challenging the perception that it’s difficult or time-consuming to cook.
From mid October, customers will be able to spot specially stickered British-grown butternut squash in Waitrose stores, proudly featuring the Union Flag and campaign hashtag #BetterWithButternut.
To inspire shoppers in the kitchen, a series of short, vibrant video recipes will showcase how simple and delicious butternut squash can be – supported by a wave of social media activity from top chefs and nutritionists.
Commenting on the campaign, Dan Parker, chief executive of Veg Power, said, “We were really encouraged by the impact of last year’s Better with Butternut campaign, which helped more people discover and enjoy this fantastic vegetable. We saw a significant uplift in the number of households choosing butternut squash. And importantly, many continued eating it even after the campaign ended. This year, we’re building on that success to show how simple, versatile and delicious butternut squash can be. Better with Butternut is part of our mission to inspire more families to cook and eat seasonal veg more often, and we’re delighted to be working with Sakata, Barfoots and Waitrose again to make that happen.”
Stuart Cox, managing director at SAKATA said: “After many years of development work behind the scenes it is great to see British butternuts performing so well in the field at Barfoots and on the shelves at Waitrose. We know this new variety performs for both growers and consumers delivering yield and quality with excellent eating properties. Working together with Veg Power and Barfoots is a great fit as we are all inspired to promote healthy eating of sustainably grown British butternuts.
Kim Barfoot-Brace, brand and marketing manager, Barfoots said: “Butternut is a really special vegetable…it’s deliciously sweet, nutty and creamy, packed full of nutrients, naturally long-life, good value and despite it’s tough looks it’s easy and versatile! We’ve been providing butternuts grown in warmer climates for decades, so it’s really exciting to now be able to grow at
