Sprout picker immersed in work

THESE small green vegetables are not to everyone's taste but sprout picker Jelena Kecedzi appears to have developed a full-bodied passion for them.

Berwickshire-based Drysdales Farm in Cockburnspath is Tesco's main sprout supplier and staff are now busy harvesting them to prepare for the pre-Christmas rush.

Ms Kecedzi, who works at the farm, volunteered to pose for pictures to illustrate just how versatile the vegetables can be.

The Berwickshire farm has 1,000 acres of sprouts and produces 6,500 tonnes per year.

From 13 December staff at the farm work 24 hours a day in the fields and the factory to make sure their sprouts are on supermarket shelves.

In the seven days before Christmas last year Tesco sold 1,600 tonnes of the vegetable, which works out as about 55 million sprouts.