Shoppers praise Lidl after supermarket makes major…

Shoppers praise Lidl after supermarket makes major change to its fruit and vegetables

Lidl has been praised by shoppers after announcing a major change to its fresh fruit and vegetables. The supermarket revealed it would be supporting suppliers across the UK by selling produce affected by the recent droughts.

Due to the hottest and driest weather seen in half a century, many crops have become stunted this summer. The supermarket chain said the change will help to "prevent perfectly good, quality produce from going to waste because of variations in specifications, for example a different size to what shoppers are typically used to”, reports Manchester Evening News.

Customers quick to praise the move, with many taking to Twitter to share their approval. @ThoroughBrit said: "Wonderful, I miss all those peculiar shapes we saw when I was growing up, tasted just as good and so much better for the growers, less waste. Bring it on!"

@Taw_66 added: "Fantastic idea to sell ‘misshapen’ vegetables, hopefully fruit too. They don’t need to be someone’s idea of perfect shape!" while @9ee applauded: "Lidl well done for promising to accept and sell fruit and veg that’s been stunted by the drought. Doesn’t matter on the shape. It will still be full of nutrients. Thank you!"

Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said: “Lidl is built on the foundation of making good food accessible and affordable to everyone, and our fresh produce range is key to achieving this. 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.” Lidl has also committed to funding and implementing 10 whole chain food waste projects by 2025 to work with suppliers to find further solutions to reducing waste and creating additional value in the supply chain.

For customers, Lidl launched Too Good to Waste boxes in 2019 to help tackle in-store food waste. Priced at just £1.50 for approximately 5kg, the boxes contain fruit and vegetables from the store shelves that would have otherwise been thrown away but are still perfectly food to eat. They are put together daily by the discounter’s dedicated in-store Freshness Specialists and are available whilst stocks last.

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