​A few years ago, a misshapen carrot or a slightly scarred apple was simply out of specification, but in 2026, that same product might sit on a supermarket shelf under the banner of “wonky”, “imperfect” or “too good to waste”. Retailers such as Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have all introduced imperfect produce ranges in response to consumer demand for more sustainable shopping options. Subscription businesses like Oddbox have scaled by marketing surplus and cosmetically imperfect produce directly to households.

On the surface, it is a really encouraging sustainability story. Now consumers are more conscious of food waste, retailers are keen to demonstrate environmental credentials, and more of what is grown finds its way into the food chain - win-win right?. From my perspective (specialising in recruitment for the Horticulture and Fresh Produce sectors), this is not just a marketing shift, it’s an operational shift, and in turn, a people shift.

The term “ugly veg” doesn’t really exist on the farm - rather it’s known as specification. Crops are grown against detailed briefs covering size, shape, colour, uniformity and finish. These parameters are not arbitrary aesthetic preferences; they are built around pack formats, shelf presentation, logistics efficiency and agreed commercial contracts with different retailers. When produce falls outside those parameters, it does not mean it is unusable, it simply means it does not meet the original retail specification. Historically, that might have meant diversion to processing, secondary markets or, in some cases, waste, but the emergence of imperfect ranges does not remove specification, it introduces an additional one.

This is where the operational reality seems to become more complex than the sustainability headline suggests. Creating an imperfect line requires clear definitions; how much curvature is acceptable? What degree of scarring crosses the line? What size variance is commercially viable? These decisions have to be formalised, communicated and consistently applied. Grading teams require updated guidance, quality controllers must exercise greater judgement, and packhouse operations often need to accommodate multiple product streams from the same field. Rather than simplifying processes, imperfect ranges can increase nuance and, at times, slow decision-making on the line.

There are labour implications too - additional segregation, new packaging formats and differentiated labelling can all increase handling requirements. Teams must be trained to identify and separate produce into more than just “in” or “out”. In some businesses, that has meant reconfiguring packhouse flow or introducing more sophisticated grading systems capable of identifying multiple tiers at speed. As automation develops, the skill mix shifts again, fewer purely manual grading roles over time, but greater demand for technical oversight, engineering capability and data interpretation.

Commercially, imperfect produce can help growers recover value from a higher proportion of their crop, particularly in seasons where cosmetic quality is affected by weather or pest pressure. That additional outlet can strengthen resilience and support margin in challenging years, however, consistency of demand is really important - growers make planting decisions months in advance; they invest in seed, labour and inputs based on forecasted volumes. If imperfect ranges are positioned as short-term campaigns rather than embedded buying strategies, the operational burden and risk seems to remain disproportionately with the producer.

There is also a broader cultural shift at play. Consumers who engage with the “ugly veg” narrative are, consciously or not, engaging with the realities of agricultural production. They are beginning to understand that uniformity is engineered and that variability is natural. That awareness then filters back through retail expectations and into strategic planning discussions.

For growers, the rise of imperfect produce seems to be neither a simple solution nor an inconvenience to be tolerated. It is about adjusting systems, processes and, importantly, talent. It requires clearer communication between farm and retail, stronger operational control and people who can manage complexity without losing sight of commercial reality.

“Ugly veg” may look like a softer, more relaxed approach to food retail, but in practice, it represents a more detailed and carefully managed operating model. And as consumer demand continues to evolve, the growers who adapt successfully will be those with the right people in place to make it work.