Food with a story to tell - Carrots

The carrot has long been an integral part of the British diet. Roasted, mashed or boiled, it is a cherished part of the nation's Sunday dinner.But, if you tire of all that scraping and peeling in the kitchen, then consider the high-tech operation that nurtures these humble vegetables from field to fork.

Matthew Garves is senior manager at Albert Bartlett & Sons' vegetable production unit at Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, one of the UK's largest farmers of root vegetables. "I've been in the business since 1976, but production methods have changed dramatically since then," he says. "We aim to yield 60 tonnes of carrots per acre." Machines pluck the crop from the ground, a speedier process than pulling by hand, but not cheap, at around £180,000 a time.

East Anglia's climate provides ideal carrot growing conditions, says Garves. "There is a low yearly rainfall which is important. This means the carrot's root must grow a good distance downwards into the soil to find water,"

The process, explains Garves, creates a long,thick vegetable as the carrot forces itself deep into the earth. The region's vast flat landscape also provides the opportunity to boost volumes,he adds.

Truckloads of freshly-picked carrots are transported from fields across East Anglia to the Chatteris farm-packaging unit. Hidden within one of the farm's large steel barns is a vast network of industrial machinery. Dirty vegetables are scrubbed, screened and packed as the plant processes more than 30 tonnes of root vegetables per hour, including carrots, parsnips and onions.The ready-to-cook vegetables are then delivered direct to pubs via produce distribution centres.

Matthew Wale, purchasing director at Pauleys, a produce supplier that teamed up with Brakes in October 2002, says that ensuring licensees receive the best fresh ingredients is key. "We are rigorous in choosing our suppliers," he says. "It's important to give chefs the best possible product."

Carrots take 70 to 100 days from seeding to harvest.

The carrot originated in Afghanistan more than 5,000 years ago.

Ancient Greeks used carrots as an aphrodisiac.

The carrot arrived in the UK during the reign of Elizabeth I. Britons embraced the vegetable as a food and fashion accessory, using the feathery stalks to decorate hats and clothing.

Carrots are a rich source of vitamin A, an essential vitamin, deficiency in which will lead to blindness.

The Royal Air Force was rumoured to have disguised its use of radar from the Germans in World War II by bragging that the great accuracy of nocturnal fighter pilots resulted from a carrot rich diet.