Political opinion: Tesco launch 'Best of British' section online in success for campaign backed by Henry Smith MP

Henry said: “The campaign for a ‘Buy British’ button aims to make it even easier for people to buy homegrown produce, supporting our nation’s farmers and cutting down on unnecessary food miles.

“Tesco follow the lead of Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose and the Co-op by making this small but meaningful change which puts our farmers and consumer choice first.

“I hope Asda follow suit soon.”

In August 2023, the Crawley MP and more than 100 other parliamentarians signed an open letter calling on supermarkets to highlight the very best of British produce by implementing a ‘Buy British’ section online.

The letter, written by Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans, stated ‘Our ask is simple, create a tab that collates produce from farmers,’ citing consumer choice, environmental benefits and support for farmers as reasons to make the change.

Now, Tesco have followed Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose and Co-op by launching a ‘Best of British’ section online which the retailer’s Chief Commercial Officer says “[brings] together over 500 quality, affordable British products to choose from.”

Dr Luke Evans MP commented: “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.”

The Deputy President of the National Farmers’ Union, David Exwood, 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.”

The Chief Commercial Officer at Tesco, Ashwin Prasad, 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 quality, affordable British products to choose from.”