Lidl GB has announced a £500m investment in the British berry industry, pledging to increase the volume of UK-grown berries amid rising demand for healthy, home-grown produce.
The investment reflects the value of sourcing contracts with British-based berry suppliers over the next five years with the discounter signing new five-year agreements.
The retailer said it would give its suppliers greater certainty to invest and expand at a time of rising costs and unpredictable weather, while underscoring its continued focus on building long-term partnerships.
According to data from British Berry Growers, Lidl reported the largest year-on-year increase in berry sales last year, and was recognised as British Berry Retailer of the Year.
“It is our clear ambition to be the first-choice partner for British growers. By building a framework providing long-term security, we enable our growers to confidently invest, innovate and scale alongside us,” said Richard Bourns, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB. “And by investing in these partnerships we are making fresh, healthy produce more accessible to our customers – offering the best British berries at unbeatable prices.”
Lidl berry supplier Tom Busby, director of Dearnsdale Farm, said the long-term agreement would give growers “the opportunity and confidence to continue to invest and adapt in the ever-changing world of berries into the next century”.
Lidl has also seen growing demand for fresh, healthy foods among shoppers, with blueberries in particular becoming one of Britain’s fastest-growing fruit categories, up more than 200% over the last three years.
Blackberries are also in strong growth, increasing by almost 93% over the same period.
“Over the last three years, we have been impressed by the increase in Lidl’s British berry volumes,” says Nick Marston, chair of BBG. “This kind of retailer investment and commitment to British berries is exactly what our growers need and, as we head into another British berry season, that continued support for homegrown produce is more important than ever.”
This long-term sourcing builds on Lidl’s £30bn sourcing commitment to the British food and farming industry by 2030, to back a resilient, ethical, sustainable British supply chain.
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