Retailer backs British growers with decade-long £250mn partnership hoped to boost supply chain resilience and producer confidence
Asda has announced a £250 million investment in British produce through a new 10-year partnership with leading UK growers Len Wright Salads.
The agreement, worth approximately £25mn a year until 2036, builds on an existing relationship between Asda and Len Wright spanning over 35 years.
The partnership underlines the retailer’s commitment to supporting British agriculture through long-term supplier partnerships.
The move follows Sainsbury’s agreement to 10-year tomato, pepper and cucumber supply deals with Evesham Vale Growers and Thanet Growers in a bid to boost domestic production and supply chain resilience.
It also follows a summer of exteme temperatures and drought, in which the UK resorted to importing lettuce from Spain during what should have been the height of the British growing season.
Len Wright Salads is a family-owned business based in Lancashire that has been growing salads since the 1960s. The company grows, processes and packages a wide variety of fresh outdoor and protected salad crops.
The business, which has a dedicated facility serving Asda, supplies the majority of the retailer’s own-label prepared bagged salads, with 37mn bags distributed to Asda stores nationwide each year.
In the face of increasing food supply chain vulnerability due to climate change and geopolitical tensions. the agreement will ensure Asda customers can continue to access British produce for years to come.
Jenny Cannon, senior director for produce at Asda, said: “Long-term partnerships like this are a great example of how we’re giving suppliers the confidence to invest for the future, helping to back British growers and build resilience across our supply chain, while ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality produce for our customers for years to come.”
In 2024, Asda rolled out LEAF Marque certification across all of its UK fresh produce growers, covering over 500 farms across the UK.
The LEAF programme requires growers to implement long-term landscape, nature conservation and enhancement plans, helping to improve biodiversity, water stewardship and soil health on British farms.
The partnership is also hoped to give Len Wright Salads the confidence to invest in its people and facilities, supporting skilled jobs in Lancashire.
Ian Torley, director at Len Wright Salads, said: “We are incredibly proud to strengthen our long-standing partnership with Asda through this landmark 10-year agreement.
“As a grower-owned British business, this long-term commitment gives us the confidence to continue investing in British growing, our people, facilities and technology. We’re excited about the next chapter and what we can achieve together over the next 10 years,” he added.
