Sainsbury’s has been praised for its commitment to British apples and pears.
British Independent Fruit Growers’ Association (BIFGA) chairman John Breach wrote to Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King to thank him personally for the chain’s “significant promotional effort” for UK top fruit.
Breach said he was especially pleased to see that in addition to front-of-store displays, considerable shelf-space was devoted to the British fruit.
“There was a good range of varieties on sale, and it was clear that the staff were being kept very busy replenishing the displays,” he commented.
Breach said BIFGA was also glad to see Sainsbury’s continuing to display the name and location of growers on pre-packed fruit labels.
“[This] not only indicates to consumers the ‘more local’ sourcing (compared to imports), but also gives a more ‘personal assurance’ of quality and safety - so much better than some of the costly assurance schemes,” he wrote.
Breach said that Sainsbury’s support of the industry was particularly praiseworthy given the lack of home-grown top fruit available in some UK supermarkets
And with growers having to wait four to five years before seeing significant volume increases, it is essential that all UK supermarkets commit to selling as much British product as possible, throughout the season every year, he claimed.
