Sainsbury's has announced new long-term partnerships with British growers to increase supplies of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, as drought threatens crops in warmer regions abroad. The UK's second largest supermarket signed 10-year agreements with Evesham Vale Growers and Thanet Earth to ensure steady availability of these salad staples.
Weather Shocks Highlight Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
In early 2023, supermarkets limited purchases of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and salad bags after bad weather and transport issues in north Africa and Europe caused widespread shortages. Sainsbury's said extreme weather in key growing regions has underlined the need for more resilient supply chains.
Extending British Growing Season
The grocer aims to extend availability of British cucumbers beyond summer into winter for the first time, using technology at Thanet Earth in Kent – the UK's largest glasshouse complex – where supplementary lighting, heat and CO2 create growing conditions year-round. Benefits will be seen this summer with the launch of the Taste the Difference British Salad Selection 800g box.
Quotes from Sainsbury's and Thanet Earth
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.
“By giving our brilliant British growers the certainty to invest and innovate through long-term contracts such as these with Thanet Earth and Evesham Vale Growers will help us to continue to support British farming for years to come.”
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.
“A good example is our investment in the technology needed to grow cucumbers through the winter, creating the right conditions for the crop and helping bring more British-grown produce to customers at a time of year when that has not previously been possible.”
