Morrisons deny renaming Brussels Sprouts to appease Brexiteers

Pro-European social media users were angered after Brexiteer MEP Lucy Harris tweeted the observation that the chain had named its batches after the regions they were grown in, with one batch named “Yorkshire sprouts” just time for Christmas Day.

Other branches are also stocking ‘Lincolnshire Sprouts’ and ‘Scottish Sprouts.

Harris generated a mix reaction from both sides after writing: “Pretty cool that Morrisons is replacing ‘Brussels’ with the sourced county.”

It prompted one to dryly respond: “Get in Morrisons. That’s why people voted to Brexit, to get the Yorkshire sprout instead of Brussels.”

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But her comments have led to accusations that the chain were pandering to Brexiteers by ignoring the standard name for the vegetable.

Mario Van Poppel tweeted: “Hey @Morrisons about the Yorkshire sprouts, does that mean there’s a Brussels pudding somewhere in your aisles?”

Jeff Davies said: “Yet another reason for me NOT to shop at @Morrisons. They were Brussel Sprouts way before 1974.”

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Anna Schiffer tweeted: “Your renaming of Brussels sprouts to ‘Yorkshire’ sprouts would seem to be a political statement (there can be no other reason for it). That is your marketing decision, but please be sure that, as a result, I will no longer be supporting you.”

But a spokesperson for Morrisons denied the claims it was related to Britain leaving the European Union.

They said: “Many of our customers are interested in knowing where their food comes from. Our Lincolnshire sprouts are called Lincolnshire sprouts because they are from Lincolnshire. Our Yorkshire sprouts are called Yorkshire sprouts because they are from Yorkshire. Many of our customers like to know that.”

Morrisons is not the only chain to rename their vegetables with shoppers also seeing “British Sprouts” on the shelves of Asda.

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