The announcement comes after shortages in early 2023 led supermarkets across the UK to restrict purchases of several fresh produce lines, including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. According to Sainsbury’s, increasing domestic production is part of a wider effort to improve the availability of these products throughout the year.
The new agreements, each lasting 10 years, have been signed with Evesham Vale Growers and Thanet Earth. They form part of the supermarket’s broader commitment to long-term partnerships with British and Irish farms while supporting investment in UK food production.
Long-Term Partnerships Aim to Strengthen Domestic Supply
According to Sainsbury’s, British-grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers already play a significant role in its salad range. The retailer said that increasingly unpredictable weather in warmer growing regions has highlighted the need to develop more resilient supply chains by expanding production closer to home.
One of the agreements is with Thanet Earth, based in Kent, where the company operates the UK’s largest single-site glasshouse complex. Sainsbury’s said the partnership will allow British-grown cucumbers to remain available beyond the traditional summer season and extend into winter for the first time.
The winter crop will be produced using supplementary lighting, heating and controlled carbon dioxide levels to maintain suitable growing conditions during the darkest months of the year. According to Sainsbury’s, the long-term agreement provides the certainty needed for Thanet Earth to invest in the facilities required to grow cucumbers commercially throughout the British winter.
Hannah O’Reilly, Category Director of Produce at Sainsbury’s, said changing weather patterns make it increasingly necessary to find new approaches that allow customers to buy quality produce all year round. She added that longer-term contracts help growers invest in innovation while strengthening the supermarket’s supply chain.
Investment Follows Previous Shortages Caused by Weather Disruption
The announcement follows supply problems experienced in early 2023, when poor weather and transport disruption across North Africa and parts of Europe resulted in shortages on UK supermarket shelves. According to reports, retailers introduced temporary purchase limits on tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, salad bags and some vegetables as supplies became constrained.
Sainsbury’s said customers will begin to see the benefits of the new agreements from this summer with the introduction of the Taste the Difference British Salad Selection 800g box. The retailer also stated that the partnership with Thanet Earth is expected to increase the volume of British-grown whole cucumbers available during winter by up to 60%.
The second agreement, with Evesham Vale Growers, supports the retailer’s existing British tomato supply. According to Sainsbury’s, demand for its Taste the Difference tomato range remained strong last year, generating more than £120 million in sales and accounting for more than 65% of its total tomato sales.
Rob James, Technical Director at Thanet Earth, said the agreement allows the business to plan with greater certainty and continue investing in technology that supports winter cucumber production. He said that creating the right growing conditions has made it possible to supply British-grown cucumbers at a time of year when that had not previously been achievable.
