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Tesco Expands School Fruit Programme and Trials Child‑Named Produce in Stores

The retailer is pairing school deliveries with a child-led in‑store test to make fruit and veg more appealing.

Overview

  • In year two, Tesco will supply daily fresh fruit and vegetables to pupils in more than 550 schools, focusing on communities with higher free school meal rates.
  • The limited trial features playful, child-created names and descriptions on produce signage in specific stores, including Keynsham, Merthyr Tydfil and Linwood.
  • Examples on shelves include apples as “Crunchy Munchies,” blueberries as “Squishy Marbles,” peaches as “Velvet Tennis Balls,” mushrooms as “Fairy Umbrellas,” and baby corn as “Unicorn Horns.”
  • Tesco-cited Censuswide research of 2,000 parents indicates 82% of children would try fruit or veg recommended by a friend and 77% respond better to imaginative descriptions.
  • In its first year the programme funded 400+ schools and delivered over 10 million portions to about 140,000 pupils, with schools reporting calmer snack times and improved concentration, and Tesco expects participants’ intake to rise by about 23% in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation.