A huge surplus of strawberries brought on by mixed weather conditions have ended up in Tesco stores.
The UK retailer rescued 400 tonnes of the fruit and immediately put them on sale in supermarkets – £3 for one kilo boxes instead of the regular £2 for a 400g punnet.
“Last week’s heatwave brought the strawberries on very quickly and meant that many growers had more than they expected,” said Laura Mitchell, Tesco berry buyer. “We’re happy to help out as British grown strawberries are renowned for their wonderful, sweet taste and when in season they are one of the first things to go on shopping lists. With great weather forecast for the coming week, and therefore lots of BBQs and picnics, we’re glad to be able to provide them for our customers.”
Grower Alastair Brooks, who owns BR Brooks fruit business in Graveney, near Faversham in Kent, said rain and cold conditions gave way to beautiful, warm weather that helped boost the quality and quantity of the strawberries.
“Last year we had the best spring on record and a fantastic summer too, which gave us a great early start and regulated growth throughout the season,” he said. “But now because of the great weather we have an abundance of strawberries. Thanks to Tesco, any surplus British strawberries won’t go to waste and the good news is that they are big, sweet and packed full of vitamins.”
The strawberry boon is a win-win for Brooks and for Tesco, which is positioning to tackle food waste and meet consumer demand, which has grown 12% year-over-year, according to the retailer.
