02 October 2007, 13:12 PM
  • The Co-operative is the latest supermarket chain to be playing the local card in a bid to answer customers' new found taste for anything reared or grown in the UK.

While all the chain’s fresh beef, pork and duck was already sourced from within Britain, the Co-op has now added its own-label chicken to this list. This move will be followed by a campaign to promote British food, which will include TV advertising, and is another example of the multiples’ realisation of the new expectations of consumers regarding where their food comes from.

The Co-op will also change the packaging of some of its products like cheese and eggs. These goods will bear relevant flags or symbols – such as the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland – to illustrate their provenance.

Guy McCracken, chief executive of food retail at The Co-operative Group, says, “We are committed to supporting British farmers and all Co-operative fresh meat and poultry is now British. We know this is important to Co-op customers, who are also increasingly interested in the seasonality and provenance of the food they buy. By working closely with British farmers, including many small local producers, we are providing the opportunity for our customers, whether they live in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland, to enjoy and take pride in the best foods sourced from their nation.”

The Co-operative is Britain’s biggest farmer with 70,000 acres over England and Scotland.