One of the UK's largest apple cooperatives has switched its business to the market's largest retailer Tesco, giving the supermarket’s English topfruit supply a major boost.
The Society of Growers of Topfruit (SGT), based in the county of Kent, is no longer supplying Sainsbury’s fresh produce specialist Chingford Fruit and is now selling through Sydney Hart, which supplies Tesco.
According to the Fresh Produce Journal, which broke the story, the deal was made last month, just a few weeks before the start of the new season, and comes at a time when Tesco has indicated its desire to up its share of the home-grown topfruit market.
It is understood another apple and supplier, OrchardWorld, has stepped up its volumes to Sainsbury’s to plug the gap.
SGT refused to comment on the move, but a spokesperson for Tesco said: “We are delighted to have additional English growers supply Tesco.”
English Apples & Pears CEO Adrian Barlow said: “I cannot comment on the deal specifically. SGT is a very well run co-op and has a reputation for producing high quality fruit.'
He added: 'It is extremely important that Tesco has access to sufficient English apples and pears to match its total grocery market share and for the last two years it has been below that level and I don’t want its sales to be restricted by availability.
“Earlier this year, it changed its supply base and it is possible that move resulted in it having problems accessing English apple and pears. If it has been able to secure additional supplies of top fruit then that is to be welcomed.”
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