New long-term partnerships with Evesham Vale Growers and Thanet Earth are aimed at boosting domestic production and supply chain resilience
Sainsbury’s will increase the volume of its British-grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers after agreeing 10-year supply deals with growers Evesham Vale Growers and Thanet Earth.
The retailer says the partnerships will boost domestic supply and strengthen supply chain resilience in categories historically impacted by weather-based shocks, as well as supporting Thanet Earth to grow cucumbers year-round for the first time.
The announcement comes as a cucumber shortage linked to extreme weather has disrupted UK supplies, underlining the need for supermarkets to think differently about how they build more resilient supply chains.
Hannah O’Reilly, category director of produce at Sainsbury’s said: “With our changing weather, it’s more important than ever to find new, innovative solutions to make sure our customers can continue to enjoy the quality produce they want all year-round.
“Investing in more British production and supporting our suppliers to innovate is helping us build a stronger, more resilient supply chain in a category that has been impacted by weather-based shocks in recent years.”
For the first time, Sainsbury’s will sell British-grown cucumbers through the winter months as part of a wider strategy to increase the volume of the produce on its shelves by up to 60 per cent.
The new British winter crop will be grown at Thanet Earth in Kent, the UK’s largest single site glasshouse complex, where supplementary lighting, heat, and CO₂ are carefully managed to create the conditions cucumber plants need to keep growing through the darkest months of the year.
Rob James, technical director at Thanet Earth, said: “Working with Sainsbury’s in this way means we can plan ahead with more certainty and keep pushing what’s possible for British growing.”
The agreements also support Sainsbury’s growing tomato range, as customer demand continues to perform strongly, according to the retailer. Last year, Taste the Difference tomatoes generated over £120 million in sales and accounted for over 65 per cent of Sainsbury’s total tomato sales.
Paul Faulkner, director at Evesham Vale Growers, said: “Our long-standing partnership with Sainsbury’s is built on a shared commitment of growing and delivering great-quality tomatoes for its customers.
“Having the confidence and certainty that comes with a long-term agreement allows us to look ahead to the future and invest in our business, build on the number of British grown tomatoes already on Sainsbury’s shelves, extend availability, and ensure customers can enjoy more British-grown produce.”
The new agreements, which are among the longest in the industry, form part of Sainsbury’s wider commitment to investing £5 billion in long-term agreements with over 2,400 of British and Irish farms.
