A Borough Market greengrocer whose chocolate-covered strawberries have featured in viral TikTok videos has claimed that he was banned from selling the treats because they were not counted as fruit.
Turnips, a family run business inside the London food market, attracts visitors from across the world and has built a huge online following with its produce popularised through social media.
But its chocolate strawberries were removed from sale this month after Borough Market officials allegedly told traders that they do not regard them as “fruit, veg and related produce”.
In one TikTok video, shared by a visitor to the market, a Turnips employee says: “If you’re outraged that we’re closed today and that you can’t get your beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries, make a complaint to the Borough Market administration.
He added: “They’re claiming that our strawberries do not count as fruit, veg and related produce, and on that basis we’re having to close the front of our shop.
“We are allowed to trade fruit, veg and related produce out of anywhere in our shop, but they’ve shut down the whole front of our operation and not let us trade today, on the basis that our chocolate-covered strawberries do not count as fruit, veg and related produce, so if you find that outrageous make a complaint, call in and let them know.”
A customer was then heard asking after the stall’s mushroom risotto, which the staff member said was in an area “not approved to be a hot food area” according to Borough Market and so was being moved into an approved hot food area “as soon as we can”.
However, the chocolate strawberries were reported to be back on sale this week. In a video posted on Tuesday, the trader said: “We’re back in business guys, we won. We freed the strawberry.”
Turnips’s online presence has attracted international fans, with one woman claiming that she travelled 9,000 miles from Australia to try the chocolate-covered treat.
She said: “They aren’t as cheap as you would buy from the supermarket. But it’s the experience isn’t it. You will not be disappointed.”
Videos uploaded to TikTok have attracted millions of views.
A pot of the strawberries costs £7.50. The stall has also expanded through opening its own restaurant with the chef Tomas Lidakevicius, as well as publishing a cookbook.
Fuck off, you’re going to tell me that jam isn’t one of my 5 a day next.
There is something wrong here because there are plenty things, indeed most things, for sale in Borough Market that are not fruit or vegetables.
Thank goodness we are now free from all those crazy EU rules about fruit and veg, eh?
Quite right. Why do people need chocolate to enjoy strawberries? Do you buy 6 candy apples and pop them in the fruit bowl?
Oh look mine guests anyone fancy a bit of fruit? I have 6 candy apples, several Terry’s chocolate oranges. A couple of sweetie banana’s. And a bounty if you fancy a slice of coconut!
The audacity of the market to be banning his chocolate strawberries after they’ve attached hundreds of visitors from social media to the market. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Sure they’re chocolate covered strawberries. So why does the sign say Turnips?
7 comments
***From The Telegraph’s reporters:***
A Borough Market greengrocer whose chocolate-covered strawberries have featured in viral TikTok videos has claimed that he was banned from selling the treats because they were not counted as fruit.
Turnips, a family run business inside the London food market, attracts visitors from across the world and has built a huge online following with its produce popularised through social media.
But its chocolate strawberries were removed from sale this month after Borough Market officials allegedly told traders that they do not regard them as “fruit, veg and related produce”.
In one TikTok video, shared by a visitor to the market, a Turnips employee says: “If you’re outraged that we’re closed today and that you can’t get your beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries, make a complaint to the Borough Market administration.
He added: “They’re claiming that our strawberries do not count as fruit, veg and related produce, and on that basis we’re having to close the front of our shop.
“We are allowed to trade fruit, veg and related produce out of anywhere in our shop, but they’ve shut down the whole front of our operation and not let us trade today, on the basis that our chocolate-covered strawberries do not count as fruit, veg and related produce, so if you find that outrageous make a complaint, call in and let them know.”
A customer was then heard asking after the stall’s mushroom risotto, which the staff member said was in an area “not approved to be a hot food area” according to Borough Market and so was being moved into an approved hot food area “as soon as we can”.
However, the chocolate strawberries were reported to be back on sale this week. In a video posted on Tuesday, the trader said: “We’re back in business guys, we won. We freed the strawberry.”
Turnips’s online presence has attracted international fans, with one woman claiming that she travelled 9,000 miles from Australia to try the chocolate-covered treat.
She said: “They aren’t as cheap as you would buy from the supermarket. But it’s the experience isn’t it. You will not be disappointed.”
Videos uploaded to TikTok have attracted millions of views.
A pot of the strawberries costs £7.50. The stall has also expanded through opening its own restaurant with the chef Tomas Lidakevicius, as well as publishing a cookbook.
Borough Market has been approached for comment.
**Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/14/borough-chocolate-strawberries-banned-turnips-greengrocer/**
Fuck off, you’re going to tell me that jam isn’t one of my 5 a day next.
There is something wrong here because there are plenty things, indeed most things, for sale in Borough Market that are not fruit or vegetables.
Thank goodness we are now free from all those crazy EU rules about fruit and veg, eh?
Quite right. Why do people need chocolate to enjoy strawberries? Do you buy 6 candy apples and pop them in the fruit bowl?
Oh look mine guests anyone fancy a bit of fruit? I have 6 candy apples, several Terry’s chocolate oranges. A couple of sweetie banana’s. And a bounty if you fancy a slice of coconut!
The audacity of the market to be banning his chocolate strawberries after they’ve attached hundreds of visitors from social media to the market. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Sure they’re chocolate covered strawberries. So why does the sign say Turnips?