Know your onions: an infograph
Click on the image to enlarge it
In this graph we present aspects of the onions trade in the UK. There is also a section on nutrition data about raw onions.
The graph is divided in three sections:
A. Nutrition
Some basic nutrition data are presented for raw onions. More than 89gr per 100 (89%) of an onion is water!
B. Trade in the UK
About half of the consumed onions in the UK are imported.
During our basic ‘field’ research we found onions imported from Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, Spain and Tasmania.
When we started our research on the 18th of June (2010) Holland was the main country to provide brown (called ‘white’ or ‘yellow’ by some grocers) onions. Egypt was the provider of red onions (organic and non-organic). More recently New Zealand has taken over Holland on the brown onions niche. Chile provides larger onions and Argentina some organic types.
C. Price of onions
On the graph we have compared the prices of ten (10) ‘high street’ grocers and (for comparison) Abel & Cole and Planet Organic, two online traders of (mainly) organic food.
The final date of our research (‘field’ and on-line) was the 21st/22nd of July, 2010. We visited grocers in Brixton (Iceland, Lidl, TESCO), Old Kent Road (ASDA) Balham (Waitrose), Bayswater (Marks & Spencer, Planet Organic), Holborn (Sainsbury’s), Wood Green (Morrisons) and Catford (The Co-op, Nisa Today’s Supermarket and Ali’s market stall, Sangley Road).
ASDA has the lowest price for brown onions in pack (39.4p per kg) but you have to buy a 5Kg pack. Still, in 2Kg packs they are the cheapest (48.p per Kg). At Lidl for 49p you can buy a 1Kg pack.
Elsewhere
Our market correspondent in Serbia, Jelena Sinadinovic, reports: ‘the price of onions varies between 50-60 Dinars per kilo (around 0.5-0.6 Euro). Last time I bought it, it was around 60-70 Dinars per kilo, so that’s more or less the standard price.’ From her report it looks like Dutch onions are all over Europe at this season: ‘I usually buy ‘domestic’ (organic), white onions, but the market is overcrowded with some Dutch variety which is rather purple in colour but not as tasty and crispy as the ‘domestic’ one – it tastes quite plastic and chewy I’d say, though people buy it in large quantities.’
In Athens, Greece on the same day that we did our research (21 July) the price of onions (Loose) at Gyzi street market was €0.60 – € 0.70 per Kg (Red onions only; origin Thiva, Greece). In the same area, at an Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos, store the prices of onions were:
- €0.49 per Kg (Red onions, Loose; origin: Thiva)
- €0.57 per Kg (Red onions, in net; origin: Thiva)
- €0.38 per Kg (White onions, Loose, organic; origin: Thiva)
- €1.76 per Kg (Small onions, in net; origin: Fthiotida)
Quiz!
We have a little quiz for you! E-mail us [ the.missing.graph@gmail.com ] by the end of July 2010, the title of a Cézanne’s painting from the Courtauld Collection that depicts onions on it. If you answer correctly and your name is the first out of the hat we will send you 1/2 kg of any type of onions you like sold in the UK and discussed on this post. Only for UK residents.
TABLE of grocers examined and types of onions sold
(unless otherwise stated all products & prices were checked on the 21st of July 2010)
| Grocer | Product | Origin | Package | Total Price | Price per Kg | Price per Unit | Display until |
| LIDL | Onions, Red, Class I, “Oaklands”, 50-70mm | Egypt | 750gr | 59p | 78.7p | - | |
| LIDL | Onions, White, Class I, “Oaklands”, 60-80mm | Holland | 1Kg | 49p | 49p | - | |
| LIDL | Onions, White, Organic, 50-70mm | Egypt | 500gr | 59p | £1.18 | - | |
| LIDL | Onions, Mild, Class II, 80-100mm | New Zealand | x3 | 75p | - | 25p | |
| TESCO | Onions, “Cooking”, 50-70m, Class II | New Zealand | 1Kg | £1 | £1 | 30/07/2010 | |
| TESCO | Onions, Red, Loose, 60-80mm, Class II | UK | - | - | 98p | 26/07/2010 | |
| TESCO | Shallots, Loose | Spain | - | - | £3.49 | ||
| TESCO | Shallots, Sweet, Class II, 28-42mm, “Nurture” | Lincs, UK | 300gr | £1 | £3.33 | 25/07/2010 | |
| TESCO | Onions, Brown, Organic, 40-60mm | Egypt | 810gr | 94p | £1.21 | 24/07/2010 | |
| TESCO | Onions, Red, Organic, 50-70mm | Egypt | 535gr | 94p | £1.76 | 28/07/2010 | |
| TESCO | Onions, Brown, Loose, Class II, 60-80mm | New Zealand | 89p | 26/07/2010 | |||
| TESCO | Onions, Mild, Class II, 70-90mm | New Zealand | x3 | £1 | - | 33.3p | 31/07/2010 |
| ICELAND | Onions, (Brown), ‘Cooking’, Class II | New Zealand | 1Kg | £1 | £1 | 01/08/2010 | |
| ICELAND | Onions, Large, Class II, 70-90mm | New Zealand | x3 | £1 | - | 33.3p | 01/08/2010 |
| SAINSBURY’S | Shallots, British, 30-45mm | Lincolnshire, UK Grown by Kitchen Garden Produce |
400gr | £1.45 | £3.63 | 28/07/2010 | |
| SAINSBURY’S | Onions, Red, Loose, Class II, 55-75mm | Beds, UK Rustler Produce |
£1.07 | ||||
| SAINSBURY’S | Onions (Brown), Loose, Class I, 50-70mm | New Zealand | Loose | - | ? | 27/07/2010 | |
| SAINSBURY’S | Onions, Organic, (Brown) | Germany, R. Beil | 750gr | £1 | £1.33 | 29/07/2010 | |
| SAINSBURY’S | Onions, Large, Class I, 70-90mm | New Zealand | x3 | £1.07 | - | 36p | 29/07/2010 |
| SAINSBURY’S | Onions, Red | Suffolk, UK | x3 | 78p | - | 26p | 30/07/2010 |
| SAINSBURY’S | Onions, ‘Cooking’ | New Zealand Hira Bhana |
1Kg | £1.07 | £1.07 | 26/07/2010 | |
| Grocer | Product | Origin | Package | Total Price | Price per Kg | Price per Unit | Display until |
| M&S | Onions, Brown, Class II | England | Loose | 99p | |||
| M&S | Onions, Red, Class II | England | Loose | £1.49 | |||
| M&S | Onions, Red, Class II, 50-70mm | England | 500gr | 99p | £1.98 | 01/08/2010 | |
| M&S | Onions, (Brown), Class II, 50-70mm | England | 750gr | 99p | £1.32 | 31/07/2010 | |
| M&S | Onions, Class II, 70-90mm | England or Chile | x3 | 99p | 33p | 29/07/2010 | |
| M&S | Shallots, Class II | 300g | £1.29 | £4.3 | |||
| Waitrose | Onions, ‘Essential’, Class I | New Zealand | 1kg | 99p | 99p | 01/08/2010 | |
| Waitrose | Onions, (Brown), Organic | Holland | Loose | £1.39 | |||
| Waitrose | Onions, Red, Organic | Egypt | Loose | £1.79 | |||
| Waitrose | Onions, Red, Organic | Egypt | x4 | £1.17 | 29.3p | 01/08/2010 | |
| Waitrose | Onions, Large, 70-90mm | Chile | x3 | £1.19 | 39.7p | 01/08/2010 | |
| Waitrose | Onions, (Brown), Organic | Argentina | 750gr | £1.09 | £1.45 | ||
| Waitrose | Shallots, Loose | England | Loose | £2.99 | |||
| Waitrose | Shallots | New Zealand | 300gr | 99p | £3.3 | 01/08/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Brown, Class II | Cambs, England Farcet Farms |
5Kg | £1.97 | 39.4p | 26/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Brown, Class II, ‘Smart Price’ | New Zealand Bhana, H. or Lincs, UK Goose, FF and sons |
2Kg | 97p | 48.5p | 25/07/2010 OR 27/07/2010 |
|
| ASDA | Onions, Brown, Class II, 50-70mm | New Zealand Balle Brothers or Southern Fresh Produce |
1Kg | 87p | 87p | 28/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Red, Loose, Class II, 65-85mm | England, UK | Loose | 97p | 24/07/2010 | ||
| ASDA | Onions, Brown, Loose, Class II | Loose | 87p | ||||
| ASDA | Echalion Shallots, Class I, 30-45mm | Beds, UK Parrish FB |
400gr | £1.37 | £3.42 | 25/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Red, Organic, Class II, 40-60mm | Egypt | 500gr | 94p | £1.88 | 23/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Brown, Organic, Class II, 60-80mm | Cambs, UK | x3 (large) onions | £1.07 | 35.7p | 24/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Red, Class II, 60-80mm | New Zealand OR Egypt |
x3 | 76p | 25.3p | 27/07/2010 OR 24/07/2010 |
|
| ASDA | Onions, Brown, Large, Class II, 70-90mm | New Zealand | x3 | 97p | 32p | 28/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Shallots, 30-45mm | Holland Mts Swifterband |
450gr | £1.37 | £3.04 | 27/07/2010 | |
| ASDA | Onions, Red, Class II, 50-70mm | New Zealand | 1 Kg | 97p | 97p | 28/07/2010 | |
| Grocer | Product | Origin | Package | Total Price | Price per Kg | Price per Unit | Display until |
| Morrisons | Large onions, class II, loose | Chile | loose | £0.88 | |||
| Morrisons | Red onions, class II, loose | New Zealand | loose | £0.97 | |||
| Morrisons | Onions, class II, 50-65mm | New Zealand | 400gr | £0.5 | £1.25 | 26/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, Red, Organic, 50-70mm, class ? | Egypt | 500gr | £1 | £2 | 29/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, Value, Class II, 40-55mm | New Zealand | 1Kg | £0.69 | £0.69 | 26/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, Red, Class II, 50-65mm | New Zealand | 400gr | £0.5 | £1.25 | 26/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, Class II, 60-80mm | Tasmania | 1.2kg | £1.28 | £1.07 | 26/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, large, Class II, 80-100mm | Chile | x3 | £1 | 33.4p | 26/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, red, class II, 60-80mm | New Zealand | x3 | £0.78 | 26p | 26/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Onions, brown, organic, class II, 60-80mm | Egypt | 750gr | £1.10 | £1.46 | 28/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Shallots, Class 1, 30-35mm | UK, Lincolnshire | 250gr | £0.79 | £3.16 | 27/07/2010 | |
| Morrisons | Shallots, Echalion, class I, 30-50mm | UK | 300gr | £1 | £3.34 | 22/07/2010 | |
| Nisa Today’s Supermarket, Muirkirk Road, Catford | Onions, red and white | Assistant thinks the red ones could be from India? | loose | 15p (each) | |||
| The Co-op | Small white onions, class II | New Zealand | 750g | 95p | £1.27 | 27/07/2010 | |
| The Co-op | Red onions, class II, 70/90mm | New Zealand | x3 “tube” in plastic net | £0.95 | £2.2 | 26/07/2010 | |
| The Co-op | White onions, class II, 70/90mm | Chile | x3 “tube” in plastic net | £1.1 | 36.7p | 28/07/2010 | |
| The Co-op | Large white onions | New Zealand | loose | £1 | |||
| Ali’s market stall, Sangley Road, Catford | Large white onions | Holland | Plastic bowl | £1/bowl (around 7) | 12p | ||
| Ali’s market stall | Small white onions | Holland | Plastic bowl | £1/bowl (around 12) | 8p | ||
| Ali’s market stall | Red onions | Holland | Plastic bowl | £1/bowl (around 12) | 8p | ||
| Planet Organic (Bayswater) |
Onions, Yellow, Organic, Class ? | Holland | Loose | £2.49 | |||
| Planet Organic (Bayswater) |
Onions, Red, Organic, Class ? | Egypt | Loose | £2.49 | |||
| Abel & Cole (Online)* |
Onions, White, Organic, Class II (minimum) | Holland / UK | 500gr | £1.23 | £2.46 | ||
| Abel & Cole (Online)* |
Onions, Red, Organic, Class II (minimum) | Holland / UK / South America | 500gr | £1.65 | £3.3 | ||
| Planet Organic (Online)* |
Onions, Yellow, Organic, Class ? | Holland | 750gr | £1.99 | £2.65 | ||
| Planet Organic (Online)* |
Onions, Red, Organic, Class ? | Egypt | 750gr | £2.39 | £3.19 |
*products online were checked on the 22nd of July 2010
Sources:
nutritiondata.com / Raw Onions
Basic Horticultural Statistics – Defra
Abel & Cole – Onions
Planet Organic
Credits:
Nicholas Primentas (Athens Correspondent)
Olga Primenta (Athens Correspondent)
Adela Pickles (The Co-op and local markets Correspondent)
Shena Aitkenhead (Morrisons Correspondent)
Jelena Sinadinovic (Serbia Correspondent)
| If you found this post interesting, why not have a look at our posts about: Potatoes in the UK or Carrots in the UK |
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