LAST week, Morrisons Bude gave away wonky carrots in an effort to support the Christmas tradition of leaving refreshments for Father Christmas and his trusty reindeer on Christmas Eve.

The move aims to introduce children to wonky vegetables, encourage families to buy large or misshapen carrots, and help out busy parents who might otherwise forget a gift for Father Christmas.

It follows new research among UK parents which reveals that leaving food and drink out for Father Christmas and his reindeer is still a popular tradition for engaging children with Father Christmas, with 6.2-million UK families participating this Christmas Eve.

Mark Morris, store manager at Morrisons Bude, said: “We wanted to make it easy for our customers to enjoy this magical tradition and highlight that wonky carrots are just as tasty as perfect-looking carrots, they are often cheaper, and there are plenty more available to buy.”

‘Carrots for Rudolph’, which look misshapen but still taste delicious, were handed out from the entrance of Morrisons Bude to help families take part in this annual tradition. They could be enjoyed by the whole family and Father Christmas, as well as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donna, Blitzen and Rudolph.

A typical spread of carrots, mince pies and a glass of sherry sets the average family back £2.10, putting the total cost to UK households at a whopping £13-million. Morrisons’ wonky carrots are for sale at 41p for a 1kg bag, with the graded variety on sale at 60p for a 1kg bag.

Morrisons has a carrot washing and packing plant in North Yorkshire, where carrots are sorted into perfect and ‘wonky’ bags. Although customers are buying more misshapen and oversized carrots, there are still more that could be sold for consumption.