Earlier this week we published the news that Tesco launched a new 'farm' label in a bid to compete with discounters, it seems that the retailer is now coming under more fire for its new brands, which sound British but are actually also on imported produce.
The seven new brands have been named after farms that either don’t exist, or which Tesco said had “historically been operating farms”.
“Willow Farms” is the only new brand to offer 100% British produce (chicken), while five brands offer a mix of British and imported and one is exclusively imported. White potatoes will be 100% British.
Products from British suppliers clearly display the Union flag, but the same farm name is being used to sell produce from several countries – although the country of origin is marked on packs.
The farming industry has reacted angrily to the branding, accusing the retailer of misleading consumers and riding on the coattails of the trust UK farmers have built.
The NFU’s head of food and farming, Phil Bicknell, said: “The names of these farms don’t have any link to where the product has been sourced – something that has the potential to confuse or even mislead customers.”
“It is clear that Tesco has identified that customers have a positive affinity with farmers and wants to capitalise on this. Although we are pleased this is giving a positive view of our industry, we want this image to be used with integrity.”
The origin of some products will also be interchangeable. Farmers Weekly found Rosedene Farms “small sweet apples” from the UK in store, but Tesco’s website states these could also come from Argentina, Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa and Spain.
Rich Ford, at advertising agency Sherlock Studios, said his company’s forensic linguists had found the brand names “littered with references to the natural environment and rural, historic, bygone features of England”, which arguably created a “sense of reassurance among shoppers.”
However, Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association, said Tesco was simply reacting to the pressure from discounters and other retailers who had already developed farm name brands, such as Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “We’ve named the brands after farms to represent the quality specifications that go into every product across the range.
“All of our packaging clearly displays the country of origin on the front of pack to help customers make an informed decision on what they wish to buy.''
