The page includes fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, as well as recipes such as a Spring potato salad and apple and berry crumble
Tesco has followed in the footsteps of its rivals by launching a “Best of British” page on its website, aimed at helping customers support local farmers and producers.
The new page features over 500 British products, ranging from fruit and vegetables to meat, fish, eggs, and dairy items, as well as recipe suggestions like a Spring potato salad and apple and berry crumble. In light of recent inflationary challenges and adverse weather conditions, Tesco stated it remains committed to supporting the industry and continues to be a “key partner” in addressing long-term issues such as climate change and loss of nature.
Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s chief commercial officer, said: “Supporting British farmers, growers and suppliers remains critical to ensuring we have a robust food industry here in the UK, and we count ourselves as proud champions of British agriculture, striving to source produce from the UK wherever possible.”
He added: “Our customers share our love for British produce, and we want to do all we can to make it as easy to find as possible, no matter how they shop with us, so we’re thrilled to be launching our Best of British page on our groceries website, bringing together over 500 hundred quality, affordable British products to choose from.”
This move by Tesco mirrors actions taken by competitors including Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Morrisons, who have added similar tabs to their websites in response to calls for supermarkets to back local farmers. The move comes after an open letter penned by Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans and endorsed by 125 cross-party MPs was sent to the chief executives of eight major supermarkets.
The letter called for a filter that would guide shoppers towards homegrown food, in an effort to stimulate the economy and reduce the UK’s carbon footprint. It was signed by representatives from all main political parties in England and Wales. It suggested that this “small change” could grant “customers greater autonomy over their food choices” and potentially encourage seasonal eating.
Dr Evans expressed his approval, saying: “I’m pleased to welcome Tesco to the fray. It’s great to see the UK’s largest supermarket join other major retailers in implementing an online ‘Buy British’ section which will support our farmers and give consumers greater choice.”
“This is really welcome news and a step forward in supporting our nation’s food growers and producers by showcasing over 500 homegrown items, with everything from meat and vegetables to dairy products now easier to find on the ‘Best of British’ tab.”
