Rhubarb Revival Fuels Year-Round Supply Ambition for Place UK

Surging demand for British rhubarb is prompting Norfolk fruit grower Place UK to expand production following a record harvest, with plans to become the UK’s first farm to grow and supply the crop at scale throughout the year.

Once considered a traditional seasonal favourite, rhubarb is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as consumers rediscover British produce, nostalgic flavours, and versatile ingredients.

For Place UK, which has cultivated rhubarb at its Tunstead farm near Wroxham for more than 50 years, the renewed interest presents a significant commercial opportunity, reports HortNews.

The business is working towards an ambitious goal of becoming the first UK farm to achieve large-scale, year-round rhubarb production.

Over the past five years already Place UK has doubled its rhubarb production, and now plans further expansion to meet continued demand.

Its UK-first ambition could help transform rhubarb from a seasonal favourite into a more consistent feature on the UK fresh produce market.

The objective follows a record-breaking 2025/26 season, during which production surpassed the harvesting records of the last six years. 

This year more than 470 tonnes of rhubarb have been harvested, processed, and frozen at the Norfolk facility, with a further 200 tonnes expected to be lifted before the end of the year. 

Place UK said this year’s yield is 16% higher than the previous record, which was set in 2024.

“It’s been an exceptionally good year for rhubarb, and we have been able to respond to a huge demand – this trend has been building for the past few years, and I don't see any signs of it slowing,” revealed Dan Yordanov, head of fresh at Place UK.

“We have doubled our rhubarb production over the last five years and have clear plans to grow this part of the farm even further.”

Rhubarb’s Return To Favour

The crop’s revival is being driven by growing interest in seasonal British produce, nostalgia foods, and sharper flavours, alongside its versatility across sweet and savoury applications.

Retail data from 2025 reportedly indicates that sales of British rhubarb increased by as much as 88% year on year, while supermarket demand for forced rhubarb rose by up to 200% during peak season. 

Longer-term industry figures also show that demand for forced rhubarb has increased by more than 170% since 2019.

From traditional crumbles to cheesecakes, ice creams, bakery products, and chutneys, manufacturers and retailers are finding new ways to bring the ingredient to consumers.

Plans For Further Growth

With demand continuing to grow and production reaching record levels, Place UK is positioning itself to play a leading role in the revival of British rhubarb. 

The grower also believes its north Norfolk location offers favourable production conditions thanks to cool winters and well-drained soils supporting consistent crop quality. 

"With cool winters, moist but well-drained soil and a lower average annual rainfall than other parts of the UK, being here in north Norfolk gives us a real advantage in producing consistent, high-quality crops,” Yordanov pointed out.

“Alongside the strawberries, cherries, raspberries and blackberries grown here in Tunstead, we’re proud that our Norfolk-grown rhubarb is being enjoyed by customers across the UK,” he concluded.

Extending The Season

Place UK’s production approach combines conventional outdoor cultivation with forced growing, which is a specialist technique that produces sweeter, more tender stems in temperature-controlled environments without exposure to light.

The process involves growing rhubarb crowns outdoors for three years before carefully transferring them into dark indoor conditions. 

Place UK has been developing its expertise in forced production for around 15 years, continually refining techniques to improve quality, consistency, and yields.

Alongside its outdoor crop, which grows between March and October, the business has successfully produced rhubarb from January through to November this season, bringing its year-round ambitions closer to reality.

The farm’s busiest production period came between late April and mid-May, when hundreds of tonnes were harvested, hand-sliced, or diced and individually frozen at the Tunstead facility.

By bringing growing and processing together on one site, Place UK said it can maintain freshness and quality while supplying supermarkets and food manufacturers with both fresh and processed rhubarb. 

The grower’s produce is used in everything from desserts and ice creams to bakery lines and prepared foods.