Tesco.com - Competition Commission

Supplier case studies – growth

When working with suppliers we believe in a partnership approach – as Tesco has grown so have our suppliers, some of whom have been working with us for decades.

Premier Vegetables Ltd

In 1962, Mick Baker quit his job as a lorry driver to grow vegetables. Today he and wife Edith are supplying us with 2.6 million trays of cauliflowers, cabbages and spring greens a year.

Mick, of Boston, Lincolnshire, says: "Living in a caravan, wondering how to improve our lives, we decided to grow vegetables."

"In 1983, we approached Tesco and at the same time, brought several local farmers together for a co-operative, Premier Vegetables Ltd. Our first order was to supply 60 trays of cauliflowers a day to the Tesco Corby depot. Since then, we have expanded with Tesco every year."

At peak times, more than 200 people are now employed by the company, which has eight grower members farming some 2,500 acres around Lincolnshire. But it is still a family business, with son Ian doing most of the day-to-day management and three of the Bakers’ four daughters involved.

Barfoots

Barfoots of Botley is a major local employer - with 400 staff - Barfoots say: "We feel it's important to support the neighbouring community, with events such as our charity Corn Festival to celebrate the harvest of our sweetcorn. We open our gates to 5,000 local people to show what we do and the crops we grow."

"You could say we're one of Tesco's children. From a small family-run business, supplying only courgettes, we have grown with Tesco over the past two decades" says Peter Barfoots, who now also supplies us with butternut squash, runner beans, broad beans and pumpkins - to name but a few.

The company has worked in harmony with the Hampshire and Sussex countryside for generations, helping to reduce the decline of native birds and wildlife. It uses sophisticated satellite navigation technology to pinpoint soils requiring additional nutrients. This precision-targeted fertilizer application is more beneficial to the environment, particularly wild flora and fauna.

The company recently built a 10-million gallon reservoir to take water from the river during winter when the river is in full flow - indeed sometimes in flood. It is then stored for use in summer when water is scarce, again with precision targeting to reduce waste.

Huntapac

All carrots sold in our stores in the North West come from Huntapac, a third generation family firm based near Preston in Lancashire.

Established in 1942 initially to supply local markets with carrots and lettuces, the company has been working with us for 30 years.

The strength of the relationship has enabled Huntapac to be innovative – so that, last year, it supplied UK pre-packed carrots to us for every week of the year, with no need to import at all.

Sales manager Ian Gregory said: "The last few years in particular have seen tremendous growth for us. The popularity of Tesco’s Express stores has opened up a new market for us for pre-packed carrots."

Supplying some 18,000 tonnes of carrots and 4,000 tonnes of parsnips a year to us, the company now employs 330 full time staff on its Lancashire site. Ian says: "Tesco has played a significant part in our expansion. As they have grown, we have grown with them, enabling us to create jobs locally and become the biggest local employer."

For more supplier stories see our regional sourcing website.