British Butternut Squash Campaign Targets Greater Consumption In Third Year

Veg Power has launched the third year of its ‘Better with Butternut’ campaign, bringing together grower Barfoots, seed company Sakata, and retailer Waitrose to further raise consumer awareness and consumption of healthy, flavoursome, and versatile British-grown butternut squash.

The 2026 campaign, described as its “most ambitious yet”, builds on previous activity with an expanded engagement programme spanning grower storytelling, chef-led recipes, school resources, and in-store promotions at Waitrose.

The collaborative industry-led drive is supported by the scaled up production of butternut squash at Barfoots, which has been made possible through Sakata's development of an earlier maturing and cooler-climate adapted butternut variety.

Dan Parker, chief executive of Veg Power, said in a press release that the campaign is set to reach even greater numbers of consumers this year in an effort to get more of the UK enjoying seasonal butternut squash.

“What began as a seasonal veg initiative with Barfoots four years ago, has become a four way collaboration with a wider range of consumer engagement activities,” he commented. 

New for this year is a British Butternut: Meet the Grower film, produced by Barfoots, which follows the crop from plug planting on the company’s farm on the South Coast of England through to harvesting and onto consumers’ plates. 

The growing story highlights how varietal development has enabled butternut squash to be cultivated at scale on the South Coast, linking British provenance and product quality with the farming practices behind production. 

These include Barfoots’ involvement in Waitrose’s Farming for Nature regenerative agriculture programme. 

“Delivering British butternuts to UK consumers is a great story to tell of plant breeding endeavour, best practice in farming innovation, a supporting retailer and great promotional activity all combining to deliver with impact a healthy, tasty and nutritious vegetable to UK consumers,” explained Stuart Cox, managing director at Sakata.

Kim Barfoot-Brace, brand and marketing manager at Barfoots, said collaborating with Veg Power, its long-term customer Waitrose and seed partner Sakata on championing British Butternut has been “fantastic”. 

“We’re delighted with the visibility and sales the campaign has driven of this highly nutritious and delicious vegetable, which thanks to varietal development, we are now able to grow at scale on our farm on the South Coast of England,” Barfoot-Brace explained.

Veg Power and Waitrose will support the distribution of Barfoots’ film across their social media and digital channels.

An adapted version of the film for primary school pupils, accompanied by a lesson plan exploring food provenance, will extend the campaign’s reach into education.

Consumer Engagement Across Retail And Digital

Better with Butternut will reach shoppers through in-store activity at Waitrose, where packaging stickers will direct consumers to campaign content and competition entries. 

“Championing local produce and sustainable farming is at the very heart of what we do at Waitrose,” pointed out Samantha Witherington, the retailer’s butternut buyer. 

“Through our Farming for Nature regenerative agriculture programme, we’re working closely with growers like Barfoots to bring our customers exceptional, high-quality seasonal produce while protecting our farmland for the future. 

“Butternut squash is such a versatile, delicious, and nutrient-rich staple, and we’re excited to help our food loving shoppers make the absolute most of the British harvest this season.”

The wider programme includes interactive school resources, nutritional guidance, growing stories, and recipe inspiration.

Veg Power’s network of culinary and nutrition ambassadors will contribute short-form videos through its Creator Studio. 

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall features in a dedicated social media video highlighting butternut squash’s flavour, versatility, and fibre content, linking the campaign to Veg Power’s wider ‘Feel the Fibre’ initiative.

Recipe content will feature chefs and nutritionists including Sam Nixon, Jeffrey Boadi, Christine Bailey RNutr, Bettina Campolucci Bordi, and Ben Tish.

By bringing together expertise from across the supply chain, the partnership aims to coordinate activities and raise the profile of seasonal butternuts.

More broadly speaking, Veg Power said its #SeasonalVeg platform has reached 28 million people, thereby establishing a significant channel for crop promotion.

Veg Power is looking for new crop partners for 2027 to build on the model.