Tesco helping customers to find their Local producers and enjoy the taste of their Local products

Tesco are helping drive awareness for local and regional products by launching a new initiative called “Enjoy the Taste of .." around stores in the UK from the end of January. Walking up and down the aisles of most Tesco stores, customers should be able to easily identify and enjoy locally and regionally produced items when they shop, and learn about their local and regional producers at the same time! This coincides with the aim of Tesco to sell £1bn of Local and Regional lines by 2011.

The ‘Enjoy the taste of..” campaign highlights the many wonderful Local and Regional food and drink producers that line Tesco shelves. Shelf talkers designed to inform customers about the household names and small speciality producers who supply Tesco with over 4,000 products, will be at the shelf edge to help shoppers find and learn something about their food from the area.

Caroline Bartrop Tesco Regional Marketing Manager for the North and East of England region says, “We recognise the importance of buying locally to ensure freshness and quality and we’re proud to work together with local communities and regional suppliers to bring customers a wide range of quality Local and Regional products. Customers may be surprised to find out how many of the groceries in their basket are made just up the road!”

The campaign allows customers to enjoy the taste of their county, and those nearby a little better, and discover the elements that make each supplier so unique. Customers may be surprised to find out that their favourite pie is produced in Lancashire, and made to a family recipe dating back to 1847.

Customers will also find out more about the family firms that supply Tesco, from the Sheldon's who supply the famous Lancashire Oven Bottom Muffin to the Drinkwater family from Lancashire who started growing mushrooms back in 1979 and 31 years on, they now supply all of Tesco's Lancashire mushrooms across the North West.

Caroline Bartrop, Tesco Regional Marketing Manager for North and East of England region continues, “Customers will enjoy finding out about the people behind the products, the history and traditions and the stories of how the very best of this region’s culinary larder has evolved.”

The shelf edge labels will highlight the map of the county and country, the location of the supplier, and also the local flag to help make the products from producers easily identifiable by customers – encouraging them to support their local suppliers.

For further information please contact Caroline Bartrop on 07702 385363 or email at caroline.bartrop@uk.tesco.com