Waitrose and Co-op have become the latest supermarkets to launched ‘Best of British’ sections on their websites in the ongoing cross-Party campaign supported by Burnley and Padiham’s MP which called on the nation’s supermarkets to make it easier for consumers to buy homegrown produce.
Antony Higginbotham, Member of Parliament for Burnley and Padiham, along with another 125 other cross-Party MPs signed an open letter calling on supermarkets to highlight the very best of British produce by implementing a ‘Buy British’ section online.
The ask was simple ‘create a tab that collates produce from farmers,’ citing consumer choice, environmental benefits and support for farmers as reasons to make the change.
The recent move to implement a ‘Best of British’ section by Waitrose and the Co-op shows increased support for the MPs campaign amid country-wide calls to buy more homegrown produce.
Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Ocado have also launched online sections collating all British-sourced food and drink since Antony Higginbotham MP signed the open letter.
Commenting Mr Higginbotham said
It’s great to see two more supermarkets support our campaign for a ‘Buy British’ button online, bringing the total to six major national supermarkets which reach millions of customers across the United Kingdom!
The aim of the ‘Buy British’ tab is simple; to make it even easier for shoppers in Burnley and Padiham to buy homegrown produce, which has the dual bonus of helping to protect our environment while supporting Britain’s farmers.
Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said:
UK farmers produce exceptional food to world-class standards. It’s great to see British supermarkets celebrating homegrown and reared produce by making it easier for customers to back our farmers and choose British food.
David Exwood, Deputy President of the National Farmers’ Union, said:
It’s really pleasing to see so many supermarkets supporting Dr Luke Evans fantastic campaign and backing British farmers and growers by adding buy British sections to their websites in order to signpost shoppers to home-grown produce.
We know from our own independent research that the public want to buy more British food from retailers and why we have been championing this important issue for some time.
