I admit being surprised to discover that the vegetable section of the freezer in my local Co-op was filled with frozen peas in a packaging I had not noticed before. The words “Grown By Us, Britain’s Largest Farmer” dominated the pack. The red tractor symbol and a Union flag were printed on the front, too. So was the Co-op logo.

At this time of the year, during the period between April and May, fresh local vegetables often prove more difficult to find if you don’t shop at a farmers’ market, so it was good to be reminded that I could reach for frozen peas with confidence.

Large creamy fresh cauliflowers in the vegetable section were wrapped in a plastic bag decorated with the red, white and blue of the Union flag, too, and three varieties of eating apples were decorated with small British flags. Bags of sprouts and Swedes were similarly marked and so were potatoes. Carrots, parsnips, leeks and onions weren’t identified in this way, but staff soon assured me they were produced in the UK.

Sadly, when I picked up a sweetheart cabbage, a vegetable that grows well in our climate, I discovered it had been imported, so had the broccoli. But the mix of British vegetables on offer provided me with quite a good choice. I would like to have bought the cabbage, though, as sweethearts make a great base for a salad, particularly if cut very thin, mixed with fresh coriander leaves and dressed with vinaigrette.

Since shopping for British food only, I have come to realise that there are times when selecting products produced in the UK is not as easy as I thought. In fact, if I forget to take my glasses with me, it often proves very difficult to identify the country of origin, which is often printed in such small lettering that a magnifying glass is needed.

But things are changing. Supermarkets and stores such as my local Co-op are beginning to recognise the merit in promoting local and British produce. I think we are going to see more and more Union flags promoting goods now, particularly as the exchange rate makes items from overseas more expensive.

During my quest to buy local/British food recently I met up with Patrice Garrigues, the ethical trading manager for Midcounties Co-operative. Patrice was born in France and trained as a chef before making his home in England in 1997.

His family owned both fruit orchards and a vineyard in the south west of France, which explains why food has always played an important role in his life.

As the Co-op’s ethical trading manager he is responsible for animal welfare, Fairtrade goods, organic and local food, as well as the community village support scheme the Co-op are involved in. This helps village community stores acquire their stock.

He smiled when I declared my surprise at discovering the Co-op grew and froze their own peas. He said that the new packaging was all part of their thrust to promote the vegetables grown on their farms.

He said: “We farm more than 70,000 acres in England and Scotland, which actually makes us the largest farmer in the UK. This is something many of our customers don’t realise, which is why we are pushing the ‘Grown by us’ range now.”

Patrice pointed out that the Co-op has been farming since 1896 and that their first farm was purchased to grow potatoes for their stores. More farms were bought between the two World Wars to provide food when it was scarce.

Apparently these farms now produce the wheat for the Co-operative packet flour and a range of fruit and vegetables, including strawberries, cider apples, onions and peas. They also produce honey, too, and even more crops are planned for this year, all of which will be promoted under the ‘Grown by us’ label.

The latest in this range is the new premium apple juice created from Cox’s Orange Pippins grown and harvested on the Co-operative farm in Tillington, Hereford. These apples are already used in their premium dry reserve cider.

Obviously I couldn’t resist asking Patrice why, as an award-winning French chef, who undertook his apprenticeship at the Michelin Starred Restaurant la Treille, in the Poitou Charente region, he has opted to work for the Co-op in England.

“Oh that’s easy,” he said “I came to England learn English, then returned to France to carry out my national service in the Navy. “After my initial training I was posted to Brest where I was cooking for a retired admiral. Then I returned to the UK and opted for married life rather than more travelling.”

He went on to explain that his love of food had not diminished since leaving the professional kitchens. Indeed, as ethical trading manager he is involved in all sorts of projects that help local producers develop their market share and promote their projects.

He said: “Who better to be involved in these projects than a chef?

‘I am particularly proud of being involved in the Co-op’s aim to source more local produce. Our society operates a 40-mile radius when it comes to Local Food, so I am already involved in sourcing freshly harvested asparagus from the Vale of Evesham.”

Patrice said that more and more of the Co-op’s customers are looking for local food now and he laughed at the thought of people like me carrying a magnifying glass around with us so that we could check country of origin. One of his aims since our conversation has been to label the fruit and vegetables more clearly, so that its origin is instantly recognisable.