A NEW vegetable created and developed in a Worces-tershire town is causing a sensation.

Its success has sparked claims that it could soon be as important to Evesham as asparagus.

Baby leaf watercress, which is being produced by Kanes Food, Evesham's biggest horticultural employer, is flying off the shelves of some of the company's major customers.

John Randall, Kanes Food chief executive, said: "We are all very excited about it. We've been working very closely with grower Martin Boehrs to develop this new vegetable.

"The baby leaf watercress is the first new arrival in the watercress market. It offers as much nutrition as superfood watercress. It is not stalky like normal watercress and has a very delicate flavour.

"It is easily recognised as new and it looks as if we have got a winner with this. We are very proud of our new product."

Such is the demand for the new vegetable, the company is now looking at the viability of growing it in Spain.

Kanes Foods, based in Middle Littleton, near Evesham, also unveiled good news on the green front this week.

Commercially sensitive changes in the production of lettuce at the company's plant in Murcia in southern Spain have enabled it to significantly reduce the number of heavy lorries on Evesham's roads.

"We seem to have led the way in reducing road miles to Spain, which has produced a one-third reduction in the number of vehicles coming to this country for the winter season," said Mr Randall. "It looks as if the whole industry will now try to catch us up."

In real terms, he said, it meant 120 fewer lorries had made the round-trip from Spain to Middle Littleton.

In addition to the environmental benefits - a saving of more than half a million kilometres - there were obvious economic benefits to the company, which saved 1,000 euros (£679) on each of the 118 trips which were not required.

With official arcticulated vehicle C02 emissions rated at 170grams per kilometre tonne, the company showed a total emissions saving of close to one million kilograms - 920,754.

Mr Randall said: "These are two pieces of good news, not just for the company but for the Vale and the people who live and work here.

"We are optimistic that our baby leaf watercress will be as much of a local success as asparagus."