Tesco has become the largest supermarket to support a campaign by Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, for an online ‘Buy British’ button which makes it easier for people to buy homegrown produce.
After making this change, Tesco are the seventh supermarket to take up Dr Evans’ campaign which aims to make it easier for online shoppers to find homegrown produce, cutting down on unnecessary food miles and supporting the nation’s farmers.
The MP for Bosworth wrote an open letter to supermarket Chief Executives last year which called for supermarkets with online stores to implement a ‘Buy British’ section online which collates all British-sourced food and drink.
Dr Luke’s letter was co-signed by 126 cross-Party MPs, with his campaign for a ‘Buy British’ button receiving Government endorsement on Back British Farming Day 2023.
Tesco follow Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Ocado, Co-op and Waitrose who have also implemented ‘British’ and ‘Best of British’ tabs, leaving ASDA as the last supermarket with an online store to not yet implement a ‘Buy British’ section.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “I’m pleased to welcome Tesco to the fray. It’s great to see the UK’s largest supermarket join other major retailers in implementing an online ‘Buy British’ section which will support our farmers and give consumers greater choice.
“This is really welcome news and a step forward in supporting our nation’s food growers and producers by showcasing over 500 homegrown items, with everything from meat and vegetables to dairy products now easier to find on the ‘Best of British’ tab.”
David Exwood, NFU Deputy President, said “We know from our own independent research that the public want to buy more British food from retailers which is why it is good news to see Tesco join six other supermarkets to add a buy British section on its website.
“We have been championing this important issue since 2016 and today’s news is a fantastic result for the campaign organised by Dr Luke Evans MP. It offers shoppers a direct way to support their local farms and buy homegrown produce.”
Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s Chief Commercial Officer, said “Supporting British farmers, growers and suppliers remains critical to ensuring we have a robust food industry here in the UK, and we count ourselves as proud champions of British agriculture, striving to source produce from the UK wherever possible.
“Our customers share our love for British produce, and we want to do all we can to make it as easy to find as possible, no matter how they shop with us, so we’re thrilled to be launching our Best of British page on our groceries website, bringing together over 500 hundred quality, affordable British products to choose from.”
