Buying British

Helping people buy the British food they want

We know that buying British matters to our customers and we are committed to offering British products at their best, when in season and when the quality meets our customers’ expectations. In some instances we purchase particularly large shares of British crops.

We are market leaders in the proportion of English apples and pears that we sell with over 28 per cent market share. During the 2008/09 British season we sold around 220 million British apples and pears – more than any other supermarket. We also offer 30 different varieties of British apples.

There are many products where we are able to offer 100 per cent British all year round; for example, fresh milk, chickens, eggs and sausages. All of our own-brand sandwiches, ready meals, pies, party foods and soups are 100 per cent British too.

We also have a long history of supporting British farmers and believe this is about more than simply stocking their products. Its about working with farmers to raise their capability and skills, empowering them to continue supplying our business for the long-term.

At the same time we recognize the importance of sourcing from overseas and we are the UK’s largest retailer of Fairtrade products by sales value.

May 2009