Tesco crowned top British apple retailer for second year running

Tesco has been crowned the UK’s top retailer of British apples for the second year running, selling a higher volume than any other supermarket in the 2024/25 campaign.

The UK’s biggest grocery chain sold 34,043 tonnes of British dessert apples between September 2024 and August 2025, ahead of Aldi in second place, which retailed 30,130 tonnes.

Trade body British Apples and Pears (BAPL) presented Tesco buyers with a certificate for their support at an event in Upchurch, Kent to mark the start of the 2025/26 British apple and pear season.

In addition, Asda was recognised as the supermarket with the best year-on-year sales performance in British apples, more than doubling its volume after being called upon for more support at last year’s event.

BAPL executive chair Ali Capper said: “Tesco has continued to demonstrate their commitment to British apples, and we’re thrilled to see them take the top spot again. Asda has also excelled this year, achieving the largest year-on-year growth in British apple sales – a real testament to their efforts.”

Capper also praised a number of other retailers for over-indexing in apples (i.e. selling a higher percentage of British apples than their grocery market share), namely Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose.

By contrast, Morrisons, Asda, Co-op and Tesco all under-performed against grocery market share and were called on for improvement.

In British pears, Sainsbury’s was named BAPL’s retailer of the year (selling 5,289 tonnes), as well as winning the prize for best year-on-year sales growth (up 905 tonnes). Sainsbury’s finished ahead of Aldi and Lidl, which both continue to over-trade in UK-grown pears.

Capper said: “We’re delighted to recognise Sainsbury’s for their leading position in British pear sales once again and for achieving the biggest year-on-year improvement. Lidl once again came second in the volume league table, outperforming their grocery market share, but Aldi’s strong growth in year-on-year pear sales also shows how retailers can build on success when they really get behind British fruit.”

This year, topfruit and stonefruit grower Robert Hinge, who is chairman of the Fruition PO and director A Hinge & Sons, hosted the industry get-together, with around 100 people in attendance and nearly all major UK producers and retailers represented.

Capper outlined plans for future growth and gave a crop overview for 2025, as well as presenting this year’s awards. The group was then taken on a guided tour of Hinge’s Gala, Pink Lady, Crimson Crisp, Kissabel and Jazz apple orchards.

In her speech, Capper also celebrated some impressive longer-term growth in British apple sales, as BAPL continues its push for 60 per cent of the apples sold at UK supermarkets to be British by 2035.

The trade body’s data shows that when you compare the last four crop years (2021-2024) with the four years prior (2017-2020), Lidl has increased its sales of British apples and pears by 45 per cent, Aldi by 40 per cent, M&S by 39 per cent, and Asda by 36 per cent.

Nevertheless, she emphasised that there is room for improvement among Britain’s grocery chains. “With a strong British crop in 2024, we’d hoped to see everyone build on their sales. While some have found it more challenging, we see this as a real opportunity. By sharing this data, we want to inspire all retailers to champion British apples and pears even more in the year ahead.”