Lidl GB has pledged to support its British fresh fruit and vegetable produce suppliers that are facing a stunted crop due to the driest summer in half a century.
The discounter has written to all of its produce suppliers, offering to look for ways to ensure that British crops are not going to waste. Lidl stated that it will work with suppliers to identify key crop challenges, and where possible, accommodate these products within its existing lines. For example, a different size vegetable to what shoppers are typically used to.
Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said: “Farmers across the country are facing a big challenge this year due to the extreme weather conditions experienced over the summer months. Whilst the crop coming out may look and feel a bit different to what we’re all used to, it’s still the same great British quality. We therefore want to show support for our suppliers by working with them to find solutions to help.”
He added: “Whilst some supermarkets have chosen to create a separate ‘wonky veg’ label for items that don’t quite fit a certain specification, we don’t believe in a creating a false market. Instead, we have always strived to work collaboratively with our suppliers to ensure that we are flexible with variations in specifications at different times of the year. However, now, more than ever, it’s critical that we and the rest of the sector get behind our suppliers. That’s why we have written to all of our British fresh produce suppliers, and I would urge other supermarkets to do the same, so that together we can ensure that perfectly good produce isn’t going to waste.”
NAM Implications:
- You are not the prettiest, but needs must…
- Interesting Lidl reaction to strange fruit: ‘we don’t believe in a creating a false market (wonky)…’
- Remains to be seen whether ‘unusual shape’ is more convincing than ‘wonky’.
