WHILE large supermarkets are rationing their dwindling supplies of certain vegetables, Coleford greengrocer Pat Scott has found a guaranteed supplier.

Pat who runs The Choice is Yours shop in the town centre reckons her South Wales wholesale supplier is keeping her one step ahead of the supermarket chains.

Tesco and Morrisons hit the headlines in the last week when they started rationing customers to no more than three iceberg lettuces at a time.

The shortages are due to unseasonally cold weather and floods in Southern Spain and Italy two of Europe’s prime growing areas.

The main varieties affected are courgettes, spinach, broccoli and lettuce.

Pat said: “There is no rationing here as our wholesaler has assured very good reliable supplies in Spain in spite of the shortages.

“Of course it all comes at a price. A box of courgettes I could get for £6 last year now costs about £20.”

During the winter months, Spain’s south-eastern Murcia region supplies 80 per cent of Europe’s fresh produce.

But after suffering its heaviest rainfall in 30 years, only 30 per cent of Murcia’s growing fields are useable.