The government’s food tsar has blamed Britain’s “weird supermarket culture” for shortages of certain vegetables.

Henry Dimbleby said “fixed-price contracts” between supermarkets and suppliers meant that when food is scarce, some producers sell less to the UK and more elsewhere in Europe.

But the body that represents supermarkets denied that business was hampered by such contracts.

Several supermarkets have limited sales of fresh produce in recent weeks.

Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are among those vegetables in scarce supply, largely because of extreme weather affecting harvests in Spain and North Africa.

Shortages are said to have been compounded by high energy prices impacting UK growers, as well as issues with supply chains.

They also come as households are being hit by rising prices, with food inflation at a 45-year high.

As an example of “market failure”, Mr Dimbleby, who advises the government on food strategy in England, said UK lettuce prices in supermarkets were kept stable, regardless of whether there was a shortage or over supply.

Paul Drew, of Drews of Worcester, says his energy costs have risen from 15p per kilowatt to 62p per kilowatt.

To speed up growth he has the option to artificially heat and light his crops, but fears the rising cost will make it unprofitable.

The tomato grower said: “You’d like to think you can plan for it, but I really don’t know how we will survive this year.”

Across the county, some farmers have told the BBC that they have switched off heating and lights earlier this winter – either delaying or cancelling planting.

At its conference in Birmingham last month, the National Farmers Union (NFU) revealed domestic production of salad crops will reach its lowest levels since records began this year.

Speaking on Politics Midlands, Ms Gideon said: “I know the NFU have asked for horticulture to be included in the energy intensive industries.

“We need to be producing more in this country in order to guarantee our own food supply, we need to be helping farmers to do that.”

While supermarket shelves in Worcestershire appear to be sparse, independent grocers remain plentiful with stocks of imported fruit and vegetables sold a higher price.

Jim Thompson, of Three Counties Produce, explained: “A box of tomatoes that we would normally pay £6 for, we are now paying £16.

“We’re paying a premium price but if the supermarkets decided to sell the product at the price it should be, then they would have them on the shelves.”