Tesco is giving away free apples to children at checkouts in more than 877 UK stores from Monday, July 20, as part of its returning free fruit for kids scheme. The initiative will run until Sunday, August 30, covering the school summer holidays.
Free apples available in large stores and Express outlets
The supermarket chain confirmed that free apples will be available in over 800 large Tesco stores and 77 of its large Express stores. Click and collect customers can also receive free apples for their children at selected stores.
Tesco's Kids Eat Free Scheme returns alongside
The fruit giveaway coincides with the return of Tesco's Kids Eat Free Scheme, which will run in more than 330 participating stores until September 1, seven days a week. Families can receive one free kids hot meal deal, kids breakfast, or kids pick 'n' mix deal with any full-price adult purchase when they scan their Tesco Clubcard. There is no limit to the number of kids meals that can be redeemed.
Additionally, Tesco is cutting the full prices of children's meals in The Cafe and The Coffee Shop this summer as part of the UK Government's Great British Summer Savings scheme, which reduces VAT on children's meals, activities, and days out from 20% to 5%.
Support for families during stretched budgets
Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: “We know that household budgets can be really stretched, especially over the long summer holiday, so offering free meals to children during this time is just one of the ways we can support families.”
Long-term commitment to children's nutrition
Tesco also runs a free fruit and veg for schools programme to support children's nutrition year-round. This year, more than 500 schools received free fruit and veg, and since the programme's inception in 2024, 15.7 million portions of fruit and veg have been donated. Tesco added: “The Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, combined with Free Fruit for Kids in stores and Tesco Fruit and Veg Grants, will help the supermarket achieve its ambition of helping a million children get more fruit and veg into their diets.”
