Avocados are one of the few fruits the UK can buy from somewhere every week of the year. Peru and South Africa dominate the northern summer, Spain, Mexico and Chile the winter, with Colombia and Kenya providing steady supply in between.
The single most important quality number is dry matter. Minimum maturity standards are commonly set around 21–23 % for Hass. Below that the fruit ripens unevenly and tastes watery, however good it looks.
Avocados are shipped hard at 5–7 °C and ripened in the UK. Ask for a firmness spec on delivery (firm, pre-conditioned or ready-to-eat) and agree who carries the risk once the fruit is triggered.
Counts per 4 kg box (12 to 32) set the size. Foodservice kitchens often prefer the smaller, cheaper counts; retail and grocers usually want 16–22.
