Based on Indian chutneys and sambals, the pickle combines the rind with spices including mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, chilli, garlic and ginger, blended with plump sultanas, lemon and onions. The result is a mildly spicy chutney that works as an accompaniment to poppadoms and curries as well as strong cheeses and cured meats.
Ian Nottage, head of food development for Fresh Direct, said: “As the UK’s leading supplier of fresh produce for foodservice, one of the challenges we set our development chefs is to focus on minimal waste cooking with customers, helping them to reduce waste by maximising the use of every part of the fruit or the vegetable.
“Therefore, we have no excuse for not putting into practice what we preach. Rather than treat the rind of the watermelon as a waste product, we’ve taken it and turned a potential negative into a delicious product.
“The Watermelon Chutney has only recently been developed and it is already receiving rave reviews. And, based on our estimates, we anticipate that, over the course of a year, we can turn ten tonnes of potential waste into tasty products that chefs across the country can be proud to serve.”