Move is aimed at making it easier for customers to identify and support homegrown food
Sainsbury’s has become the largest supermarket to launch a dedicated ‘Best of British’ page on its groceries website.
The retailer said the move enables it to better champion and profile British-grown and produced products with its millions of online customers.
The new page spotlights over 450 100 per cent British-sourced grocery products – including fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs and chilled essentials - allowing customers to find and buy locally produced products even more easily and better support local producers and growers.
Customers can also choose from a range of recipes using British products to inspire mealtimes, such as a British Beef Wellington and a Big British Salad.
Sainsbury’s noted that it already helps customers shopping in its stores to identify British-sourced products through labelling and packaging, and has permanent signage in over 1,000 of its larger supermarkets.
Visitors will see a varying selection of products on the page, which is dependent on the seasonal availability and ranging in their local store.
’Maintaining a resilient UK food system’
Chief executive Simon Roberts said: “Many of our customers want to support British suppliers and make more conscious choices when doing their food shop, and our new Buy British webpage helps them to do just that through a curation of over 450 quality, 100 per cent locally sourced products.
“We recognise the pressures that British farmers are facing and the importance of supporting them to maintain a resilient UK food system for the long term. Our relationships with farmers and suppliers are incredibly important to us and we remain committed to sourcing British as much as we can, now and in the future.”
Dr Luke Evans MP added: “This is another huge step forward for my ‘Buy British’ button campaign! With Sainsbury’s launching a ‘Buy British’ section online they become the latest supermarket to support homegrown produce.
“Sainsbury’s have taken a further step forward by placing signposting to buy homegrown produce on the homepage and in other sections on the website such as those dedicated to dairy, fruit and vegetables.
“Farmers always tell me the best thing we can do to support them is to buy local, homegrown produce and the new ‘Best of British’ section on Sainsbury’s website makes it even easier for shoppers to support our farmers and cut down on unnecessary food miles.
“It’s great to see Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Morrisons all leading the way on the ‘Buy British’ button. I look forward to seeing other supermarkets follow their lead.”
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “It’s fantastic to see supermarkets getting behind Dr Luke Evans’ campaign and I’m delighted that Sainsbury’s is also backing British farmers by adding a British section online in order to signpost shoppers to homegrown produce.
“Our own independent research shows the public want to buy more British food from retailers and we have been championing this issue for some time. The addition of the British section online by Sainsbury’s will help customers support British farmers.”
