Tesco relaunches free fruit scheme for millions of customers

A major UK supermarket has announced it will be offering free fruit to shoppers for the next two weeks.

Children who shop with their families at Tesco between 30 December and 13 January will be able to get a free apple at the checkout.

The offer is valid in more than 800 major Tesco stores across the country, while customers using the click and collect service at the chain’s 119 major stores will receive free apples.

Tesco said the apples supplied would be grown by British people from six British suppliers, in a bid to ensure more children have access to the fruit.

Part of the supermarket chain’s ‘Pay less for 5 a day’ campaign, it plans to give away more than three million apples over a two-week period.

It was designed to continue the work of Tesco’s expanded fruit and veg for schools programme. Over ten million portions of fruit and vegetables were provided to approximately 140,000 children in the last academic year.

Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad said: “We are committed to making healthy choices easier, faster and better value for our customers.

“With new offers, Clubcard Challenges, free fruit for kids and fresh online recipes, we’re helping kids get more than their five meals a day and making healthy eating fun for the whole country.”

This is part of Tesco’s wider strategy to increase access to fruit and vegetables; because government figures show one in ten children and one in five adults eat less than the recommended five meals a day.

Selected customers will also be invited to earn Clubcard points through challenges that will encourage the purchase of fruit and vegetables, beans and pulses, canned goods and dried fruit.

Meanwhile, Clubcard prices and campaigns will also be valid for fruits and vegetables.

Clubcard competitions will run from January 12 to February 22.