Tesco announces major change to cut bills in its Tesco Express stores

Tesco has recently today an important and major overhaul to the range of products it stocks in its Express stores, as it reinforces its position as the UK’s best value convenience store chain.

The overhaul will see over 50 key everyday products replaced with even more keenly-priced alternatives, many of which are from its own-brand range, with some items less than one third of the price of the products they are replacing.

Across the in excess of 50 products included in the change, shoppers will find the own-brand alternatives are, on average, over 40% cheaper than the products they're to replace.

This move comes in response to the supermarket’s internal shopping data, which shows price-conscious customers are increasingly turning to own-brand products to get better value, whilst not compromising on quality. 

Among the own brand lines that are to be introduced are Tesco penne pasta (85p) and Tesco smooth peanut butter (£1.65), both of which will cost 50% of the price of the previous branded products that were stocked.

Bags of Tesco frozen garden peas (£1.65), being stocked in Express store freezers as part of the change, will be nearly 40% cheaper than the branded product they are to replace. Tesco basmati rice pouches (75p) will fill the space on the shelves left by a branded equivalent which costed 30% more.

Some branded lines, including toothpaste, are being replaced by a cheaper branded alternative at less than a third of the price. And to provide better value for parents, Tesco is reducing the price of some packs of branded nappies in Express stores by as much as 40%.

Tesco Convenience MD Sarah Lawler said: “We know customers are watching every penny at the moment, so it's our hope these helpful product swaps will bring down average food bills for even more families."

She went on to say: “Our Express stores offer unbeatable value on everything from essentials to fresh produce, thus making healthy food more accessible for the 2,000 communities we serve across the UK. And while our convenience stores don’t have the shelf space to carry the full range of our larger shops, by swapping these products, we’ve been able to make way for even more of our great-value own brand ranges.”

The new products will be delivered to stores over the coming couple of weeks, with the change-over complete by the end of the month, August.

A spokesman concluded: "This latest change is just another way Tesco is delivering great value for its Express customers, with Tesco Clubcard holders being able to take advantage of the supermarket’s Clubcard Prices discounts in Express stores too."

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Tesco’s 'ambitious' net zero targets validated

Tesco has outlined an 'ambitious' plan for emissions reduction across its own operations and value chain as it becomes one of the first retailers globally to have its net-zero science-based targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the official body that validates climate targets.

Tesco’s targets include stretching interim commitments to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its own operations by 85% by 2030 from a 2015 baseline year, absolute Scope 3 emissions from energy and industrial sources by 55% by 2032 from a 2019 baseline year, and absolute Scope 3 emissions from FLAG emissions by 39% by 2032 from a 2019 baseline year. 

Tesco is also one of the first companies globally to have specific, SBTi-validated targets focused on greenhouse gas emissions originating from ‘forests, land and agriculture’.

The validated targets will see Tesco working towards its commitment to become carbon neutral across its own operations by 2035, and value chain by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. 

The retailer has set out its emissions reduction priorities through its Planet agenda. Activity will be grouped across six areas: Improve Products; Decarbonise Transport; Reduce Store Emissions; Support Sustainable Consumption; Eliminate Waste; and Protect Nature. 

Activity are to include the scaling up of deforestation-free feed sources; further roll-out of agricultural innovations such as low carbon fertiliser; and the continued decarbonisation of Tesco’s store estate and transport networks. 

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO said: “With the effects of climate change upon us, we’re committed to achieving our target of net zero by 2050. It will require us to transform the way we operate our business, from how we produce our products in partnership with suppliers, how we run our stores and transport network, and how we encourage our customers to make healthy and sustainable choices. 

“We’ve led the way on action on climate change, from adopting 100% renewable electricity across the whole Tesco group, to scaling innovations in our supply chains. We must work even harder, in collaboration with suppliers and business partners, to achieve our goals. These ambitious targets, validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative, now provide us with a clear roadmap of action over the next ten years and beyond.”   

Tesco has led the way on tackling climate change, becoming the first business globally to set a net zero target in 2009, and in 2017, the first FTSE 100 company to set science-based targets for both its own operations and its supply chain.

Tesco’s move to highlight marked down food bargains now expands to 300 stores

A move by Tesco to help customers find marked-down yellow sticker food items more easily has proved so popular Tesco has decided to expand to 300 stores all over the UK.

For the revamp the supermarket has made bold, new signage for its mark-down section in stores to help shoppers find food bargains and at the same time help reduce food waste.

The new signage which states, ‘reduced in price, just as nice’, is now up in just under 300 stores and plans are currently being discussed to roll it out even further across all Tesco branches.

The mark down areas feature a wide range of products from fresh produce like salads, meat, bread and sweet treats which are near to their expiry date, so they're ideal for tonight’s supper or for popping in the freezer for another day, to end of season as well as discontinued grocery and non-food products, also.

Tesco Group Quality, Technical and Sustainability Director Claire Lorains said: “At Tesco we have no time for food waste and we are doing everything we can to reduce this.

“Our customers are always on the lookout for great value food, and our rebranded ‘reduced in price, just as nice’ signage makes it easier than ever before to spot a short-dated and top-quality bargain.” 

The initial move last October was made after a survey revealed shoppers would pick up more yellow sticker food items if the marked down area where they are placed would look nicer.

Tesco’s Hatfield Extra store in Hertfordshire was the first to feature the revamp last October.

Hatfield store manager Ravi Aloysius said: “The new signage has had an immediate effect and we are seeing more people wishing to buy from our reductions area, particularly on fresh food, meaning there are far fewer items left at the end of an evening.” 

Tesco has already achieved a 45 per cent reduction in food waste across own operations since 2016/17. However, it knows there is still more to do despite just 0.35 per cent of food it handled, last year, ending up as waste.  

Tesco closely follows the food waste hierarchy to ensure that no food goes to landfill. Where possible surplus food is given to humans through Fareshare.  

Tesco reveals hot new trend for cooking adventurous global meals at home

Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, has revealed sales of ingredients and meal kits for a range of global cuisines have been consistently rising over the last year, as customers look for alternatives to takeaways and learn to cook their own versions at home.

Ingredients to make familiar favourites like Indian curry are top of the charts, increasing by 33%, with items to cook a Chinese meal second, up by 32%. However it should also be noted that pan-Asian products to help make Korean, Japanese or Thai meals are also up by 15%. And Caribbean meal kits and ingredients are also high up in the charts, up 14% over the last year.

The demand for global ingredients as part of the cooking-at-home trend has been so strong Tesco has has taken the decision to extend its range of World Foods in by 35% to satisfy customer demand. The grocer has also introduced World Foods displays in 8% more stores.

To help customers looking to cook at home find great value, Tesco has launched its largest ever promotion for the category, with nearly 2,000 products offered at a 20% discount for customers with a Clubcard until August 8.

Shoppers have been stocking up on basmati rice for Indian cooking, plus record sales of Tesco chapatti flour, as customers make their own versions of the flatbread that's popular with curry.

The trend for pan-Asian cooking at home has been fuelled by increasing sales of spice pastes used to make authentic Thai cuisine, like Thai green curries, pad thai noodles and massaman curries.

Tesco customers have been experimenting more with meal kits to make themselves delicious treats like Donburi rice bowls or Yakisoba noodles from Japan, and Bibimbap, which is a delicious Korean rice dish.

Tesco has been offering inspiration to encourage its customers to continue experimenting with new global dishes, with in-aisle displays in recent months featuring Middle Eastern, Latin American, Japanese & Korean foods. The current theme highlights Caribbean food and features products from celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott.

Abigail Wilkinson, who is the Tesco Category Buying Manager for cooking ingredients and global cuisine, said: “We've seen a significant trend for customers looking to save money by cooking for themselves, rather than eating out as much as before. And they are being more adventurous in the kind of meals they are cooking at home.

“Shoppers are buying more ingredients or kits to make popular classics such as curry or Chinese stir fry, but we’ve also seen them branching out into cuisines such as Japanese, Thai or Korean. We are trying to expand our offering to meet this demand and to inspire home cooks with new ingredients and kits to help them to feel confident in making something new and delicious.”

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Tesco unveils fresh mince ‘pillow packs’ that uses less plastic

Tesco Customers picking up fresh mince in some Tesco stores will notice a big change in how it’s packaged. Instead of the traditional tray/top wrap pack, shoppers will see two lines of mince in new ‘pillow packs’.

The supermarket is testing  the new packaging which uses an incredible 70% less plastic, on two products: 500g Tesco Beef Lean Steak Mince 5% fat (£3.49) and Tesco Beef Mince 500g 20% fat (£2.49). If customers like the new pillow packs, Tesco will roll them out to more stores and across more products, too.

Pillow packs are the opposite to vacuum packs. The slightly inflated ‘pillow’ keeps the mince in perfect condition and prevents it being compressed at all.

While the new packs still contain the same amount of mince as the older packs, the packaging is smaller in size, meaning fewer lorries are needed to transport them, and stores can fit more on shelves, increasing availability, too.

The new packaging is recyclable. Customers can put it into the front of store recycling units with their other soft plastic.

Dom Morrey, who is the Tesco Commercial Director for Fresh, said: “As well as looking for great value when they are shopping, customers want to see less plastic packaging on the products they buy. Pillow packs are a win-win: they keep the mince in perfect condition, whilst also requiring much less plastic. 

“Removing or reducing unnecessary plastic is a vital way we at Tesco can reduce environmental impact. We're proud of what we've been able to do so far, but we'll continue to look for ways to do more."

Tesco’s 4Rs packaging strategy aims to remove plastic where it can, reduce where it can't, reuse more and recycle what's left. To date, Tesco has removed around 2.2 billion pieces of plastic from its UK business, including: 

200+ million bags from Tesco.com deliveries

100+ million extra lids from products such as wipes, creams, yogurts and desserts

50 million pieces of plastic wrapping from cans of branded beers and ciders

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'Eggstra' help from Tesco for UK egg farmers

Tesco has revealed it is providing a further £10 million in extra backing for the UK egg industry as it continues its commitment to sourcing all its shell eggs from the UK. 

£6 million of the support will be provided from this month, August, until March 2024. This is on the heels of Tesco’s investment of £27.5m in the sector across 2022/23.

In a further boost to producers and customers, Tesco is lifting its buying restrictions on shell eggs. The restrictions, which mean customers can only buy three packs of eggs at a time, were introduced in November 2022 to ease pressure on a supply chain adversely impacted by price increases in key inputs like feedstuff and energy prices, further impacted by the avian flu outbreak. 

The support package will be paid to suppliers to cover the cost of handling, processing and egg production, including increases in feed for farmers. Tesco will continue to work with suppliers to ensure the extra investment will be passed on to farmers as soon as possible.

Tesco will also continue operating its industry-topping poultry feed model. Poultry feed represents up to 70% of the cost of production on egg and poultry farms. 

The model adjusts to price changes in the market, providing producers with the cost protection and security they require when they are purchasing feedstuffs.

Dominic Morrey, who is the Tesco Commercial Director for Fresh said: “We’re obviously very pleased to be able to provide a further package of financial support to our UK egg suppliers and producers.

"Over the past 18 months the sector has faced some very tough conditions, including increases to inputs like energy and feed, plus the avian flu outbreak, so we hope this support will alleviate some of these challenges.

“As conditions begin to ease, we’re also now able to remove the buying restrictions we’ve had in place on shell eggs since November last year. Customers can be reassured we also remain 100% British on all our shell eggs, with our five-year contracts with our suppliers now well underway.”

Tesco and its suppliers are committed to high welfare standards and together are working towards the retailer’s aim of 100% cage free eggs by 2025. It is hoped the new long-term contracts will help achieve the commitment.

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Tesco makes food bank donations a little easier for customers

Food banks and charities see demand rise during the summer months. And Tesco is helping its customers make donations to food banks by selling Food bank donation bags in 300 Tesco stores.

The bags are pre-filled with items that are most needed by families.

The donation bags, which customers can pick up as they enter the store, will contain the items most needed by foodbanks and charities, likes pasta, pulses and pasta sauce and will typically cost around £3.50.

The bags make it a quick and easy way for shoppers to give a helping hand to food banks and charities feeding people in their local communities this summer. 

Last year, the total amount of food donated by Tesco shoppers to the Trussell Trust and FareShare was the equivalent of 12.5 million meals.

The donation bags will be available in Tesco stores until Sunday September 3, alongside every Tesco store’s permanent collection point where customers can donate long life food items all year round. 

Over the summer, customers can also round up their bill to the nearest pound at the checkout to make it even easier to offer financial support to those who are in need. This will be available to 6th August and 28th August to 3rd September.

Tesco Head of Community Claire de Silva said: “We’re very proud of our partnerships with FareShare and the Trussell Trust and we are keen to continue to find ways to help them. With more people using food banks we wanted to make donating as easy as possible for customers who want to support their local community. The donation bags will be available throughout the summer holidays so it allows a real focus on families and children who need support.”

Polly Hoffman, Head of Retail at FareShare, said: “The need for FareShare food has been rising quickly as a result of the cost of living crisis, and will continue to do so throughout the summer holidays when more families rely on these vital local services to feed themselves and their loved ones.

“At a time when millions of people are going hungry across the UK, the donations we receive from generous Tesco customers is really vital for the charities and community groups we provide food to.  That’s why we’re thrilled Tesco is making it even easier for people to support FareShare by introducing donation bags in store this summer.”

Emma Revie, CEO at the Trussell Trust, added: “We're extremely grateful to Tesco for again providing innovative new ways for their customers to support our network of more than 1,300 food bank centres. Over the last year, food banks have faced record levels of need and, while donations have increased by 18%, our network distributed 37% more emergency food parcels than in 2021/2022. 

“The generosity of Tesco and its customers plays a vital role in ensuring that food banks can continue to support people who cannot afford the essentials, as we continue working towards our vision of ending the need for food banks.”

(EDITOR: Other supermarkets such as Morrisons also offer food bank bag donation points in their stores.)

Future farmers will benefit from sustainability advice in new combined Tesco and Harper Adams University initiative

The Future Farmer Programme will help support farmers reach net zero and biodiversity targets

Tesco and Harper Adams University’s School of Sustainable Food and Farming (SSFF) have today announced the launch of an exciting and major new multi-year programme which will help up-and-coming British farmers develop their skills in sustainable agriculture.

With recent surveys suggesting younger farmers have identified skills gaps in areas such sustainability and the environment, the Future Farmer Programme will provide 75 young farmers with face-to-face and live online training on how to implement sustainable agriculture practices and protect biodiversity.

The nine-month course, which will run every year for the next three years, will also include events and mentoring sessions on business operations and also on personal development.

Farmers under the age of 40 from across different agricultural sectors and at different stages of their development are being encouraged to apply for the programme ahead of its start date in October.

As part of the Partnership with SSFF, Tesco will also fund research projects which are aimed at addressing some of the key sustainability challenges affecting agriculture. The first research project will look to combine different sectors of Tesco’s agricultural supply base to understand how land can be managed in a way that is environmentally and economically sustainable for all parties involved in an agricultural rotation.

Speaking at the launch of the programme at the Royal Welsh Show, Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s Chief Product Officer said: “British agriculture plays a crucial role in protecting and enhancing our natural environment and will be right at the heart of the UK’s efforts to achieve its net zero ambitions. It’s also had to overcome some incredibly tough challenges over the past two years, which is why we’re committed to supporting it, both now and in the future."

“With this in mind, I’m really delighted to be launching this new programme with Harper Adams University, which will see some of the brightest young talents in the industry benefit from training and support in implementing sustainable agriculture techniques, helping to safeguard the industry, and our natural environment, for future generations.”

Simon Thelwell, Director of the School of Sustainable Food and Farming at Harper Adams University said: “We are entering a hugely exciting but challenging next chapter for UK Agriculture. The transition to more sustainable food production systems is a significant change for many farmers, and so understanding these issues, identifying the opportunities they present, and being prepared to make change is the key focus of the course."

“The course is split into three focus areas, Understanding Sustainability, which will explore the key drivers and opportunities for the industry; Agile Mindsets - which will help participants identify their own strengths, capabilities and weaknesses; and Agile Business, will help them structure and adapt their business, existing or new, and to identify new opportunities and methods for a sustainable future.”

Tesco has provided much-needed support across several farming sectors over the course of the last 18 months to help overcome inflationary challenges, which have affected the prices of inputs such as feed, fertiliser, energy and labour. Tesco’s help has included financial support packages for the pig and egg sectors as well as its continued commitment to its Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group, now in its 16th year, and its established feed model for poultry farmers.

Farmers can learn more or apply here:- https://www.schoolofsustainablefoodandfarming.org/886/tesco-future-farmer-programme/

Bags better for everyone! Tesco and Morrisons welcome the Universal Bag

Marking a massive milestone in the global rollout of the Universal Bag project, Tesco and Morrisons are the next two UK partners.

Designed by Anya Hindmarch and manufactured by the Solent Group, The Universal Bag is reportedly the next generation of reusable bag; a desirable, durable, reusable, 100% recycled and recyclable shopping bag that's designed for everyone, to take everywhere, for just about everything or anything.

Working in collaboration with major global food retailers, the Universal Bag has the laudable aim of driving meaningful change across the entire industry. 

While use of single use plastic has reduced dramatically, with sales falling in the main supermarkets by 95% between 2021 to 2022, says lates official figures, the problem is far from solved. Nearly half a billion single use plastic bags were still sold between 2021 to 2022 and the ‘bag for life’ isn't th environmental solution we'd all hoped it would be.

However, since launching The Universal Bag project collaboratively over 150 tonnes of virgin plastic has been saved from landfill, the equivalent of over 12 London double decker buses.

The Tesco version, available from the end of July in 250 stores nationwide, will be available in their core brand colours of blue with red handles, while the Morrisons version, available from mid-September in 400 stores all over the country, will be in their core brand colours of yellow with green handles.

These versions of the Universal Bag are the seventh and eighth editions respectively and add to the growing global line up, following Asda, Co-op, Sainsburys, Selfridges Food Hall and Waitrose in the UK, City’SUPER in Hong Kong and National Azabu in Japan. More global partners will be announced later on this year.

Incidentally, Morrisons was the first UK supermarket to introduce paper ‘bags for life’ instead of plastic and has also committed to using 50% less plastic packaging in its own-brand products by 2025.

Working together with retailers with such impact, scale and ambition gives the opportunity to make meaningful changes and inspire long lasting shifts in consumer habits.

Both the Tesco and Morrisons versions will retail at £10 each.

The project, open to all food retailers worldwide, allows each partner to create their own exclusive version of the Universal Bag in keeping with their own brand requirements.

The Universal Bag is made from 100% recycled plastic and each step and material used in making the bag has been fully certified under the Global Recycling Scheme (GRS) making this a truly 100% recycled product.

Each Universal Bag is guaranteed to last for ten years having been extensively tested for durability.

The Universal Bag features an innovative, convenient freepost returns pocket built into a pocket inside the bag. You simply turn the bag into its built-in pocket which acts as a pre-addressed envelope and then post it through a letter box. It's then 100% recycled locally.

In addition to being practical the Universal Bag is designed to be durable, too. By creating a bag  customers feel excited to be seen with and are motivated to take care of, reuse is expected to increase, tackling one of the major issues surrounding shopping bags.

Anya Hindmarch, Founder and Creative Director, comments: “The Universal Bag project has saved over 150 tonnes of virgin plastic from landfill so far, the equivalent weight of over 12 London double decker buses. Plastic pollution remains a pressing environmental issue but working together with major global food retailers shows how the solution needs to collaborative.”

Rachel Eyre, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Morrisons, adds: “We’re really thrilled to partner with Anya Hindmarch on the Universal Bag project and support such an important, vital issue. We are committed to reducing our plastic use and we were the first supermarket to introduce paper ‘bags for life’. It’s an issue our customers and colleagues are extremely passionate about so we're very excited to see the Morrisons x Anya Hindmarch tote land in our stores and we will be proud to spot it out and about, too!”

Ashley Simons, the Solent CEO, opined: “Both Anya and Solent have a shared heritage in creating and producing market disrupting initiatives that help customers to lead healthier, more sustainable lives. We are delighted to have partnered with Anya and her team on the Universal Bag which further supports the reduction and need for single use plastics. The Universal Bag is a beautiful and high performing product that encourages customers to buy into reusability and sustainability.

"It’s not a bag you’d ever feel comfortable throwing in the bin. Given the durability of the bag, ideally, it will never need to be recycled but, if it does, we have made it easy for the customer to get it back into the recycling stream, a process we believe has never been done before. The Universal Bag is a true market first and another step change in our mission to end single use plastic bag usage for one and for all.”

Looks like it'll be a great way to take your food and drink shopping back home with you, or to take your picnic to the beach and then back home again!

Kids Eat Free scheme returns to Tesco cafés for school summer holidays

Tesco has announced it will be re-launching its Kids Eat Free scheme to its 310 cafés across the UK over the school summer holidays.

The scheme will run in cafés between the following dates:

England & Wales: Start 24th July – Finish 1st Sept

Scotland: Start 3rd July – Finish 11th August

Northern Ireland: Start 3rd July – Finish 1st Sept

Tesco's cafes will be offering one free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick ‘n’ Mix deal with each item bought by an adult from as little as 60p when showing their Tesco Clubcard at the till.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK CEO, said: “We know the extra costs of keeping children fed and entertained during the long summer holidays can stretch household budgets, so we’re bringing back Kids Eat Free to give our families a helping hand.”

Popular menu items include beans or avocado on toast, fish fingers, baked chicken goujons or a sandwich. Hot main meals include a vegetable side dish, and the sandwich pick n mix includes a piece of fresh fruit and two snacks, so there’s something healthy and satisfying to feed hungry children from breakfast 'til dinner.

Kids Eat Free is just one of the many ways that Tesco is helping families spend less. Tesco has recently announced price cuts on essential products including spaghetti, cooking oil and yoghurt.

Families can also save thanks to Aldi Price Match, which matches the price of hundreds of products to Aldi, including both Tesco own brand products and big brands, and thanks to Clubcard Prices, more than 20 million Clubcard households have access to thousands of exclusive deals on everything from everyday staples like fruit and veg to treats like prosecco or ice cream.

Free Armed Forces breakfasts at Tesco

Members of the UK Armed Forces will be able to get a free hot breakfast at Tesco cafes across Great Britain to mark the Armed Forces Day celebrations.

As a thank you for their service, on Sunday June 25, all serving Armed Forces personnel, that's around 159,000 regulars and 32,000 reservists, can present their MOD90 identification card at any Tesco café and get a free full cooked breakfast, vegan cooked breakfast, sausage bap or a bacon bap.

All 295 Tesco cafes across England, Scotland and Wales will be offering the promotion, which is limited to one free breakfast per cardholder.

The initiative is part of Tesco's sponsorship of Armed Forces Day for the second year running. The event took place in Falmouth today, Saturday June 24, to recognise the incredible contribution that members of the Armed Forces community make to our lives.

Ashwin Prasad, Chief Product Officer at Tesco and Exec Sponsor of the Armed Forces Network, said: “Once again, we’re proud to be the headline sponsor of Armed Forces Day. Everyone loves a free breakfast and it’s a great way of showing how much we value members of the Armed Forces.”

Rhys Little, Chair of the Tesco Armed Forces Network, said: “We take great pride in our connection with the Armed Forces and we're the number one employer in the UK for veterans when they leave the armed forces."

He went on to say: "We've received the Gold award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme twice now (in 2016 and 2020), and we were also the first retailer to sign the Armed Forces Covenant in 2014.”

Over the weekend of June 24 and 25, Local events are taking place in towns, cities, and villages up and down the country, with Falmouth at the heart of the celebrations. It promises to be a spectacular event, with parades through the town, displays by the Red Arrows, the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team, and a series of thrilling flypasts.

As well as sponsoring the event, Tesco stores will be holding a nationwide collection for Help for Heroes the weekend prior on June 17 and 18 including a round-up at till option so customers can easily donate while shop with us.

For more information on Armed Forces Day please visit https://www.armedforcesday.org.uk

Tesco backs healthy eating

Tesco has announced its voluntary commitment to not sell HFSS products through volume-led promotions, as part of its ongoing plans to help customers eat a more healthy diet.

Following the Government announcement that restrictions on multibuy deals on foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) are to be delayed further until 2025, Tesco confirmed it will continue to keep volume-led promotions on HFSS products off its shelves. This will support its commitment to make Tesco the easiest place for customers to shop for affordable, healthy, sustainable food.​

While Tesco will continue to offer value on products across the entire store, this move means customers will not have to purchase more HFSS products than they need to access great value. 

A spokesman said: "With household budgets stretched, it’s more important than ever that Tesco invests in competitive prices. In response, Tesco has further increased Aldi Price Match to around 700 products, price-locked over 1,000 products at Low Everyday Prices and extended Clubcard Prices to over 8,000 lines.

"Also, we’ve made it even easier for customers to access healthy and affordable food through our Better Baskets campaign, which helps remove price as a barrier to making healthier, more sustainable choices. The majority of products highlighted as part of the Better Basket’s promotion will be at Clubcard Prices, Low Everyday Prices or in Aldi Price Match items".

Today’s announcement is part of its broader commitment to support customers to lead healthier and more sustainable lives and achieve the goal to boost sales of healthy products to 65% as a proportion of total sales by 2025. 

It's consistent with the work Tesco has been doing for many years, including Reformulation of its Own Brand ranges which has contributed to the removal of 71 billion calories so far, putting it well on track to delivering its 100 billion calorie reduction ambition by 2025. 

Tesco Group Chief Product Officer Ashwin Prasad said: “ Tesco will continue to offer great value on products across the entire store, so customers won’t have to purchase more food than they need to access great value. Our mission is to make Tesco the easiest place to shop for a healthy, more sustainable basket – while keeping the cost of the weekly shop in check. We know that customers want to eat a more healthy, sustainable diet, but without having to stretch the weekly shopping budget and we are really proud to be leading the way in maintaining our commitment”

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Tesco shoppers called to help raise vital funds in charity’s fight against food allergies

Shoppers at Tesco are being asked to help an ongoing in-store and online allergy awareness and fundraising campaign to support medical research into food allergies.

For the fourth year running, Tesco is working with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation by donating 10p from every Tesco own brand Free From product customers purchase in stores and online throughout the week. More than £270,000 has been raised for the Foundation since the start of the partnership in 2020.

All money raised through generous customer donations will help Natasha’s Foundation continue its research into reducing the risks of food allergies and raise awareness around ingredient labelling.

Natasha’s Foundation was founded in 2019 by Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse OBE, following the tragic loss of their daughter Natasha, who had a fatal allergic reaction to a baguette that contained sesame seeds not listed on the packaging.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, said: “We’re thrilled that Tesco is supporting us for the fourth year running, helping us raise essential funds to deliver our mission to #MakeAllergyHistory and better the lives of up to 3 million people in the UK living with food allergies."

Oonagh Turnbull, Head of Health Campaigns at Tesco, said: “Tesco was the first UK supermarket to develop a Free From range to help customers with food allergies, or other special dietary needs to enjoy the food they want to eat. Since its launch in 2003, our own brand Free From range has grown to 176 products across all categories, many of which are award-winning. We are delighted to continue to support Tanya and Nadim, and the Foundation’s crucial and potentially life-saving research.”

Tesco is an eight-time winner of the Retailer of the Year title at the annual Free From Food Awards.

Better bread for less dough as Tesco revamps its in-store bakery range

Shoppers looking for fresh, tasty bread are to be offered a fresher bakery experience at Tesco, with the introduction of new highest quality, limited-edition speciality bread and sweet products, available for less than the premium prices often found at trendy artisan bakeries.

The major move has seen the supermarket re-design its in-store bakery options launching nearly 30 new lines, including six limited-edition products.

As part of the revamp, which will roll out to all Tesco bakeries this month, the supermarket will also include nutritional information on packaging, such as calorie content and daily recommended allowances.

Said Tesco Lead Bakery Product Development Manager, Sarah Donovan: “Times are changing in the baking world, and we’re seeing the emergence of an adventurous new type of shopper who is very eager to try more premium artisan varieties of bread and sweet treats.

“But we don’t believe shoppers should have to pay higher prices for artisan bakery items, which is why we’ve launched a new range of great quality products baked daily in store.”

Among new artisan bread lines being introduced are:

Tesco Finest Cheddar Boule – 400g - £2.25. Fermented for 12 hours and bursting with indulgent, melted pockets of Vintage and West Country Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses. Stonebaked for a deep crust.

Tesco Finest Halkidiki and Kalamata Olive Batard 400g - £2.25. Made with a blend of Greek olives – black olives from the southern Ionian area of Kalamata and green olives from the northern Halkidiki peninsula to give a full and rounded flavour.

Tesco Finest Limited Edition Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia – 250g - £2.25. Crafted with a long fermented Italian style Biga dough, made and hand topped with Italian extra virgin olive oil, Anglesey sea salt and rosemary. 

Added Sarah Donovan: “Instead of seeing bread as just something to toast in the morning or make a sandwich with, more people are beginning to appreciate it as a food to savour and one that can have many different flavours and complex tastes.

“This has resulted in a major boom for speciality bread with sales of focaccia, ciabatta and Mediterranean varieties all selling really well.” 

New sweet lines include:

Tesco Finest 2 Victoria Sponge Muffins – £1.75.  Made with a light and fluffy vanilla sponge the muffins are filled with strawberry jam and topped with strawberry pieces with buttercream enriched with clotted cream.

Tesco Finest 2 Sicilian Lemon Meringue Pastries - £1.90. A new twist on the classic lemon meringue pie. These Danish pastries are made up of 24 layers of delicious flaky pastry with a zingy Sicilian lemon favoured filling and finished with crunchy meringue pieces and a drizzle of icing.

Tesco has dropped the price of bread and butter across its stores and online as part of its commitment to provide value for customers during the cost-of-living crisis. The move has included reducing the price of the supermarket’s most popular bread, the Tesco Toastie white bread, from 85p to 75p.

www.tesco.com

Fishes without bones come to Tesco

It’s been the quest for UK fisheries for decades. Discovering a way to remove the tiny bones found in whole raw mackerel which is one of the most nutritious fish to eat.

Now Scottish fish supplier Nor Sea Foods Ltd have been able to develop a method to remove the tiny bones, and it's all due to a new state-of-the-art ‘pin boning’ machine.

The new boneless mackerel will be going on sale exclusively at Tesco stores all over the UK, and that'll be great news to the large number of shoppers who make it one of the most popular food fish species.

Tesco fish buyer Christarose Maphosa said: “This achievement by Nor Sea Foods Ltd is a huge breakthrough as it makes one of the most nutritious of all fish varieties more attractive to shoppers.

“We're aware some people aren’t confident about preparing or eating certain types of fish because of the matter of the bones, so the launch of these boneless mackerel fillets is a real game-changer, we believe.” 

Nor Sea Foods Ltd, a family owned and operated business based in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, has supplied Tesco with UK wild caught, oil-rich mackerel and herring for in excess of 30 years. 

The business is situated in the heart of the UK’s North Atlantic mackerel sector, close to the rich fishing grounds around the coast of Scotland where the fleet operates.

The company doesn’t want to reveal too much about the new pin boning machine because the information is a closely-guarded trade secret. 

Nor Sea Foods Ltd Group Sales and Marketing manager Philip Andrade said: “Boneless natural mackerel hasn’t been available in shops until now because it is not an easy matter to achieve. 

“Mackerel fillets are relatively small and the tiny bones run right down the centre of the fish. As a result removing them by hand is a very slow, costly process and there has not been a viable way to do it mechanically until now.

“Nor Sea Foods Ltd has partnered closely with experts over the last several years to find a solution that has allowed us to offer Tesco this first to market opportunity.” 

Both Nor Sea and Tesco believe this new boneless option could encourage more people to include this healthy variety of fish in their diets.

Tesco nutritionist Laura Farrell pointed out: “Mackerel is an oily fish. Generally we are recommended to consume two portions of fish each week and one of these portions should be oily fish. The UK adult population (19-64 years) on average only consumes 56g per week oily fish – so well under one portion per week.” 

Tesco ‘Two Boneless Mackerel Fillets’ launch this week in more than 800 stores across the UK. They will cost £2.25 for a pack of two. 

Tesco cuts price of pasta and cooking oil with thirty products reduced

The cut in prices comes after the retailer announced drops in the price of milk, butter and bread in recent weeks.                                     

Tesco has announced another significant price reduction for a number of store cupboard essentials. Tesco own brand pasta has been reduced by 15p in stores and online, and vegetable and sunflower oil have also been reduced by up to 15p, too.

The reductions come after the supermarket dropped the price of milk, butter, and bread in recent weeks as part of its commitment to provide great value for customers.

As families continue to watch their weekly spend, the retailer will cut the price of thirty pasta and oil products. The price cuts include dinner-time favourites like penne and spaghetti, down to 80p for 500g. Meanwhile a litre of vegetable oil will drop to £1.85.

A spokesperson said: "Tesco will continue to work closely with its suppliers to ensure customers can benefit from the best possible value."

Tesco Group Chief Product Officer, Ashwin Prasad, said: “As we see deflation coming through on key cupboard essentials like pasta and cooking oil, we're pleased to pass on these savings to customers."

“We hope by reducing prices on these thirty products which are bought week-in, week-out, we can help customers spend less."

“So whether you’re buying a branded favourite covered by our price lock, stocking up on essentials from Aldi Price Match, or treating yourself to an exclusive deal with Clubcard Prices – you can be confident of finding great value at Tesco.”

www.tesco.com.

Not going out: Nation embraces hosting at home as millions make the most of staying in

As a nation we are dusting off its hosting skills as millions are staying in instead of going out in a bid to save money, according to new research from Tesco - with the supermarket also encouraging customers to try a ‘Use Up Night In’ to make the most of the ingredients wet already have in our kitchen.

This is an effective way to cut food waste and spending, as according to Tesco, implementing a Use Up Day each week could save households an average of £260 per year.

Data shows that over the last year, 68% of UK adults have reduced spending less on going out, with many preferring to play host to friends or family instead.

Almost half (47%) of those who said they're spending less on eating and drinking out or going out to socialise are recreating a night out in the comfort of their homes, using ingredients from supermarkets.

Return of ‘potluck’ dinners

As the country switches nights out for nights in, the research indicates 48% UK adults who are spending more time at home instead of going out, are having friends and family over for meals. And while bringing a bottle is still deemed a helpful contribution by some hosts (48%), one in ten (11%) hosts prefer a contribution to the meal in the form of a dish or ingredient – with 37% of those saying they would like to receive a dessert and 18% appreciating a contribution of snacks and nibbles.

BYO takes on a new meaning for under-35s

Tesco analysis found 1 in 4 under-35s (26%) are likely to ask dinner party guests to come bearing a dish or ingredient, compared with only 13% of 55+.

A Use Up Night In to help your pocket and our planet

To support our nation’s hosting habits and help reduce the amount of food wasted in homes, Tesco has created a ‘Use Up Night In’ guide containing recipes, smart ways to use up leftovers and even how to host a potluck party where each guest is encouraged to bring their own ingredients.

It forms the next phase of Tesco’s Use Up Day campaign, which encourages people to cook a meal once a week using food they already have at home, helping customers to spend less and stop good food from going to waste.

Jamie Oliver, renowned chef and Tesco Good Food ambassador, said: “Having a dedicated night of the week to use up the food you already have is such a brilliant idea. Not only does it mean less food going in the bin, which can only be a good thing for the planet, it also means you’re not spending as much. This is where flexible recipes, the ones where you can easily swap ingredients in and out, are your best friends. I love Tesco’s ‘Use Up Night In’ campaign for encouraging everyone to have a go at doing this, because it really can make a difference.”

Tony McElroy, Head of Campaigns at Tesco, said: “Since creating Use Up Day in 2021, Tesco has helped thousands of customers make the most of their food shop and reduce waste. Cutting the amount of food that’s thrown away in homes is win-win, saving money and limiting harmful emissions."

“Adapting Use Up Day to cater at home for friends or family is a great way of making food go further; whether that’s reinventing your own leftovers or combining the contents of your kitchens.”

Tesco works with the local sharing app Olio to further reduce waste. Tessa Clarke, co-founder of Olio, said: "Food waste is hard to stomach at the best of times — but even more so in the midst of a cost of living crisis. Tesco’s new guide couldn’t be more timely, full of brilliant ideas that make it easy to turn spare food into delicious meals. And, of course, any ingredients that you don’t use can be easily passed on to local people using Olio, meaning not a single piece of good food need go to waste."

Tesco launches collaborative ready meal tray-to-tray initiative with Faerch Group

In what's believed to be a first in the industry, Tesco has started to recycle used plastic food trays back into packaging - creating a fully circular packaging solution for its entire range of core chilled ready meals.

The change is in collaboration with leading packaging manufacturer Faerch and will see customer-recovered PET trays, which are collected via kerbside waste, recycled and converted back into food grade plastic trays.

Tesco’s ready meal trays already contain up to 75% of recycled content, mainly from cleaner and easier to recycle bottle flake plastic. Through the new Tray 2 Tray by Faerch™ programme, a minimum of 30% recycled tray content will be included in the new core chilled ready meals trays.

A phased rollout of the new trays will take place this month (April) across Tesco’s core own brand chilled ready meals. The collaboration will ensure high quality food-grade PET is kept within the supply chain, rather than being downcycled, and demonstrates PET packaging from trays can be fully recovered and recycled at an industrial scale.

Adele Kearns, Packaging Development Manager at Tesco, said: “We're absolutely determined to close the loop on our packaging, for it to be fully recyclable and contain recycled content wherever this is possible. 

"We remain committed to reducing our environmental impact, and helping our customers do the same, as we work together to protect our planet.”

Ruth Price, Strategic Sales Manager at Faerch UK, said: “We’re delighted to launch our Tray 2 Tray by Faerch™ programme with Tesco, an essential initiative that promotes circular food packaging in the economy, and we are committed to working with our customers to keep rigid food packaging in the economy and out of the environment. 

"Our collaboration with Tesco is the perfect example of how material from EU waste resources can be diverted into a valuable commodity. Moving forward, our intention is to not only increase the level of tray-to-tray content but to also start taking this from local UK feedstocks”.

Tesco also works alongside suppliers to drive change across products – eliminating all hard-to-recycle material from UK packaging in 2019 - and supports industry action including the UK Plastics Pact, which tackles the impact of plastic waste.

• Lines that have changed or will change over the coming weeks are:

o SPINACH & RICOTTA CANNELLONI 400G

o TOMATO & MOZZARELLA PENNE 400G

o SPAGHETTI & MEATBALL 400G

o TUNA BAKE 400G

o BEEF LASAGNE 400G

o VEGETABLE LASAGNE 400G

o SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE 400G

o SPAGHETTI CARBONARA 400G

o HAM & MUSHROOM TAG 400G

o CHICKEN ARRAB 400G

o PEPPERONI PASTA BAKE 400G

o ITALIAN CHICKEN & BACON PASTA BAKE 400G

o MACARONI CHEESE 400G

o CHICKEN & CHORIZO PASTA 400G

o PESTO PASTA 400G

o LENTIL BAKE 400G

o ITALIAN CHICKEN & BACON PASTA BAKE 750G

o BEEF LASAGNE 750G

o MACARONI CHEESE 750g

o THREE CHEESE MELT 750G

o PEPPERONI PASTA 750G

o BEEF LASAGNE 1.5KG

o CHICKEN, TOMATO & MOZZARELLA 1.5KG

o CARBONARA PASTA BAKE 1.5KG

o BEEF LASAGNE 1.5KG

o CHICKEN, TOMATO & MOZZARELLA 1.5KG

o CARBONARA PASTA BAKE 1.5KG

You can learn about Faerch here https://www.faerch.com/en

No and low alcohol brews are now UK’s fastest growing beer varieties

Growing UK demand for no and low alcohol beer is now so strong it's growing faster than any other beer type including some on trend craft varieties.

At Tesco demand for no and low beer has rocketed by nearly 40% in the last two years helped by the introduction of dedicated brands likes Lucky Saint, Athletic Brewing and Days 0%.

Notably, it’s not just the annual Dry January campaign that is inspiring healthier drinking, with Tesco recording its highest ever Christmas week demand for no and low beer as sales soared by 43 per cent on the previous year.

The supermarket also reports a new shopping pattern emerging with no and low beer drinkers switching to buying larger pack sizes rather than single cans or bottles, as a result of more confidence in the quality now available.

Tesco No and Low Beer buyer Sam Harrop said: “Interest in no and low alcohol beer is so strong dedicated brewers have emerged in recent years which has resulted in more choice for shoppers. 

“This has led to great improvements in quality with these specialist brewers inspiring far better ingredients and processes in order to create full-bodied no and low beers that taste authentic.

“The success of this market has shown us that growing numbers of drinkers seeking healthier brews are prepared to buy no and low alcohol beers as long as the quality is good.”

The Tesco sales data backs up findings in a 2022 No and Low Insight Report compiled by retail consumer research experts KAM in collaboration with category leader Lucky Saint.

The report* found that:

55 per cent of UK adults are planning on moderating their alcohol intake in 2023 

Awareness of the alcohol-free category is at an all-time high, with beer leading the way - up from 86 per cent in 2020 to 95 per cent in 2022

One in three pub visits are now alcohol-free 

Consumption of alcohol-free is being driven by ‘at-home’ occasions, with 37 per cent of UK adults drinking alcohol-free at home once a week or more 

54 per cent of consumers said they go to supermarkets to discover healthier new alcohol-free options 

Lucky Saint is one of the newer UK alcohol-free brands which has been instrumental in taking the category to the next level.

The brand says it is on a mission to elevate the drinking experience for alcohol-free drinkers, firstly with its lager, and now with the launch of their London pub, The Lucky Saint, championing alcohol-free drinks alongside alcoholic options.

Lucky Saint founder Luke Boase said: “Wanting to moderate your alcohol consumption has been a growing trend over the last five years, and 2023 is set to become the year moderation goes mainstream with over 50% of UK adults planning to cut down their consumption.

“Dry January was particularly exciting this year, with over nine million people taking part - it's a time when our category jumps forward, and the growth is sustained with millions of people continuing to drink No and Low throughout the year.

“Like us, Tesco is betting big on the No and Low category and it shares our view of what consumers are looking for - healthier options and great-tasting alcohol-free drinks that make moderating alcohol consumption easier, which is a great thing.”

Have a loaf on us’ to celebrate One Stop’s 1000th store

Have a loaf on us’ to celebrate One Stop’s 1000th store.

As part of the celebrations One Stop is giving away free loaves of bread to customers.

Convenience retailer, One Stop, is celebrating the opening of its 1000th store by giving away free loaves of bread to its customers.

In addition, to mark the day, One Stop, a subsidiary of Tesco, is giving away £10,000 to up to ten local community groups in the Wolverhampton area.

As a community retailer, One Stop have always worked hard to give back to those who have supported their journey. So each community group will receive a donation of £1,000. For example, Promise Dreams will use the funding to continue their work of granting wishes for terminally ill children. Also, St Alban’s Church will use the grant to support their local food bank.

The 1000th store, which opened in Wolverhampton on Friday 17th February is particularly appropriate as One Stop started its journey in the same city, as a simple market stall, nearly half a century ago.

One Stop has been recognised with several industry awards including 2022 ‘Convenience Retailer of the Year’ at the Retail Industry Awards.

Sarah Lawler, One Stop's MD  said: “The opening of our 1000th store is a really exciting time for our 10,000 colleagues. It is great to look back at what we’ve achieved and we’re excited about the future.”

“We’d love to invite people into stores to have a ‘loaf on us’ in partnership with Warburtons to celebrate this milestone.”

“Part of this significant achievement is the growth of our franchise business, which, eight years ago didn’t exist. The franchise business continues to build the brand into a stronger entity within the convenience market. How we manage, learn and continue to grow the two businesses in parallel gives us a unique opportunity and I look forward to our next key milestone.”

“Thanks to the dedication of our colleagues and support of our customers, we are also incredibly proud to have donated £10 million to charity in the last ten years. We have always strived to give back to those who live in the communities we serve.”

One Stop supports three national charities and countless regional and community organisations and grassroots initiatives. One Stop has also donated 200,000 foodbank meals and has been working on key programmes to make food more readily available to others. This includes joining initiatives including ‘Too Good to Go’ (https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb and OLIO (https://olioex.com/get-involved/volunteer/food-waste-heroes/).