British root vegetables under pressure as UK drought conditions continue
UK drought conditions continue to threaten produce
After one of the hottest and driest starts to summer in recent years, the UK’s agricultural sector is facing mounting pressure. Headlines have focused on heatwaves, hosepipe bans, and drought declarations, but for foodservice operators, the longer-term impact is only just beginning to emerge.
Whilst availability of some summer vegetables has already been affected, industry experts are now warning that the consequences for autumn and winter produce – particularly root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and potatoes – could be more significant. As crops struggle to establish and growers contend with limited water supplies, availability, quality, and pricing are all expected to come under increasing pressure.
According to Jo Hall, allmanhall’s co-owner and Managing Director, “For fresh produce, especially root veg, fluctuating prices, substitutions and shortages are likely to be seen extremely soon as a force majeure increase. This is largely a result of the extremely dry weather over the summer. Potatoes will be greatly impacted. Expect to see price increases for the baking variety of c.40% from September and continuing into next year. The price of smaller potatoes, crisps and chips will also be rising significantly as a result of force majeure.”
allmanhall are working proactively with suppliers to understand the challenges caused by the current UK drought and help clients navigate the coming months.
By understanding the market early and planning ahead, catering teams can remain flexible, minimise disruption, and make informed procurement decisions as the season develops.
How the weather is reshaping the UK produce market
Following one of the driest and hottest periods in recent years, British growers are continuing to face significant challenges in 2026 as prolonged dry weather has caused a current UK drought. Soil moisture levels remain exceptionally low across many agricultural regions, while water supplies for irrigation are becoming increasingly stretched.
On 29 July, the Environment Agency officially declared drought across half of England, including East Anglia, London, the Thames Valley, and large parts of central and southern England.
Although some growers have invested heavily in irrigation systems, access to water is not unlimited. As restrictions increase and reservoirs remain under pressure, growers are having to make difficult decisions about which crops receive priority.
Alongside these production challenges, UK suppliers are increasingly relying on imported produce to maintain continuity of supply. However, many European growing regions have also experienced prolonged periods of extreme heat, creating additional competition for available produce and placing further upward pressure on prices.
This situation is Europe-wide – and as the UK’s largest importer of fresh produce, this dual pressure of constrained domestic supply and heightened import competition means the UK will face further cost and availability challenges through the latter half of the year and into early 2027.
Why root vegetables are becoming the next area of concern
Earlier in the season, much of the focus centred on crops including broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, peas, and potatoes. Attention is now turning to root vegetables, where the impact of the UK drought is expected to become more apparent as harvesting begins later this year.
Root vegetables rely on consistent soil moisture throughout their growing cycle to achieve good size, quality and yield. The current conditions have slowed crop development in many areas, with growers reporting concerns around reduced yields, smaller sizing and variable quality.
Carrots are expected to be one of the most affected crops, despite many producers investing in irrigation infrastructure. Similar pressures are also emerging across parsnips, beetroot and swede, with the full extent of the impact becoming clearer as the season progresses.
Cauliflowers are feeling the heat
Last summer, extreme heatwaves and prolonged dry spells dramatically reduced crop yields for broccoli and cauliflower, creating unavoidable supply shortages and price volatility. This impacted not only availability but quality, as cauliflowers must be snow-white to meet visual grading standards. When exposed to intense sun, the curds (the white edible part) yellowed, leading to perfectly edible produce being rejected in the supply chain.
A longer-term issue is emerging this year with some winter cauliflower crops planted earlier this summer failing in certain growing areas. This is due to heat stress and limited water at a critical development stage.
Current demand is still being met by UK and imported supply, but these losses create a risk of a supply gap later in the year, likely from autumn into winter.
The potato crop faces acute, season-wide risk
The extreme heat and lack of rain over the last seven to eight weeks mean that the whole of the British potato crop is likely to be affected by the UK drought this season.
The fundamental physiological challenge is that above 25°C, potato tubers stop growing entirely as a self-protective mechanism. This means we will not see the expected bulking rate of tubers at this critical stage of the season, which will likely result in a shift toward smaller-grade potatoes, particularly impacting the baker and pre-packed sectors.
Critically, the lack of rain is likely to impact this season’s crop now, regardless of any future rainfall – which is not currently forecasted for a large proportion of the UK’s key potato-growing regions. The prolonged dry conditions will result in higher dry matter levels in the tubers, making the crop more susceptible to mechanical bruising during lifting and handling, which can increase waste and reduce usable yield even if harvest proceeds.
UK growers started lifting early varieties last week and will be moving onto the new season main crop over the next few weeks. By the end of August, we will have a clearer picture of the maincrop situation, and we will provide a full update then.
This timeline means catering and procurement teams should anticipate volatility in potato supply, sizing, and pricing from September onward, with potential implications for menu planning, portion control, and supplier negotiations.
According to allmanall’s co-owner and Managing Director, Jo Hall: “For fresh produce, especially root veg, fluctuating prices, substitutions and shortages are likely to be seen extremely soon as a force majeure increase. This is largely a result of the extremely dry weather over the summer. Potatoes will be greatly impacted. Expect to see price increases for the baking variety of c.40% from September and continuing into next year. The price of smaller potatoes, crisps and chips will also be rising significantly as a result of force majeure.”
What catering teams should expect over the coming months
Although there is no immediate cause for concern, catering teams should prepare for a more volatile produce market over the coming months.
Potential impacts include:
- Increased price volatility across fresh produce – expect to see price increases for baking potatoes of c.40%
- Greater variation in the size and appearance of root vegetables
- More imported produce supplementing British supply
- Shorter availability windows for some UK-grown products
- Occasional substitutions where availability becomes constrained.
Maintaining flexibility within menus and accepting alternative sizes, varieties or origins will help kitchens maintain continuity while growers and suppliers manage increasingly changeable conditions.
How allmanhall are helping clients stay ahead
allmanhall’s procurement specialists work closely with growers, suppliers, and manufacturers to monitor market conditions as they develop.
Through regular market intelligence, supplier engagement, and proactive communication, we help our clients stay informed and make confident purchasing decisions before supply issues become critical.
Our team continues to monitor crop development, pricing, and availability, providing early visibility of potential challenges and recommending practical alternatives where appropriate.
As always, if you have any questions about current produce availability or would like support planning future menus, please speak to your dedicated Client Relationship Manager or contact our support team.
We’ll continue to share market updates as the season progresses, helping clients stay ahead of changing conditions caused by the UK drought and minimise the impact of ongoing supply challenges.