Tesco has overtaken Sainsbury to become the UK’s largest seller of home-grown top fruit.
The UK’s number one supermarket has taken a narrow lead in the race to be the UK’s biggest seller of apples and pears selling 31,408 tonnes this year to Sainsbury’s 31,325t up to 29 May.
Latest supermarket sales figures reveal that Tesco’s volume sales are up 34 per cent year on year while market sales across all the supermarkets rose by four per cent, according to data recorded by English Apples and Pears (EAP).
EAP CEO Adrian Barlow declared the result a “dead heat” stating that the margin between the two retailers - 83t - was “within the margin for error”.
Nevertheless, Barlow praised Tesco for its “incredible recovery” from its position two years ago and said it has the potential to grow further.
He said: “Tesco has been below where it should be for two years from having a 32 per cent share [of English apples and pears] four years ago before slipping away.”
Barlow said its growth had arisen from “very careful” planning, merchandising, point-of-sales material and introduction of varieties.
He praised the “huge competition” between Tesco and Sainsbury’s and said the latter has performed “extraordinarily well” outperform its share of grocery resoundingly.
Elsewhere, Morrisons has recorded 17,622t of sales and Waitrose 9,864t. Barlow said the industry would like Asda - which has sold 12,747t - to increase its share to 15-16 per cent.
Tesco fruit category director Nick Tatum said:: “Our customers tell us they want home-grown apples and pears and they proved that in the last year after we considerably raised our intake volume of the UK crop which was eagerly snapped up.
“Credit must go to our growers and packers who have supported us in realising this achievement.
“This is great news for the UK’s apple and pear industry and the increasing demand will hopefully give new confidence to growers.”
One of Tesco’s initiatives to support the home apple industry in the last year was the launch of four new apple varieties Sonya, Evelina, Opal, and Pirouette.
The move is further proof of the renaissance of the British apple industry which over the last eight years has overseen an increase in orchards and also smaller trees being planted better suited for production.
Pears are just starting their renaissance and there are new orchards of varieties such as Conference and Comice being planted, on modern, more productive, easier to manage systems.
Michael Joyles, commercial director of Tesco supplier Norman Collett in Kent, said: “We were given the challenge by Tesco a year ago to increase the UK offer at the start of the season.
“Our growers have worked hard to deliver an outstanding service with a great quality and freshness offer which has surpassed all aspirations and has helped Tesco to their fantastic 34 per cent year on year growth - a great achievement.”
Barlow said the industry was “enormously grateful” for the support of Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
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