Stoneless avocados a reality in the UK, NZ won't get them

Seedless avocados are now on sale in the UK. Photo / Supplied

Should you ever find yourself travelling to the UK, you can add "eat stoneless avocado" to your list of touristy activities.

The country has recently been introduced to the Spanish delight of cocktail avocados, with British supermarket chain Marks & Spencer selling the stoneless fruit during the month of December.

The stoneless fruit is a low-fat version of the common avocado and has edible skin.

They look like gherkins, and only grow to between five and eight centimetres in length.

The result of an unpollinated avocado blossom, the fruit develops without a seed, which is why they don't grow very large.

New Zealand's strict biosecurity measures mean we are not likely to see the stoneless fruit in the country any time soon (if ever).

All avocados consumed in New Zealand are grown in the country.

"The issue for imports is whether other countries can meet our requirements for low or zero pests coming in," Jen Scoular, CEO of New Zealand Avocado, told Fairfax.

Scoular added that, if there is enough demand for the stoneless version, avocado growers could look into whether it could be produced "100 per cent naturally" and without taking away from the health benefits of the Hass variety.

"I'm not sure how they produce an avocado without a stone, because the stone is where the avocado starts," she added.

UK millennials with a taste for avocados but a preference for stoneless fruit can buy these at Marks & Spencer supermarkets for about $5 for five, the same price as normal avocados.