Asda are trialling wonky veg boxes as part of the ‘Beautiful on the Inside’ range in 128 stores in an effort to tackle food waste across the supply chain and to help famers.
The exclusive wonky veg boxes are packed with peculiar potatoes, crooked carrots and curved cucumbers which are all in season, as well as knobbly peppers, cabbages, onions, leeks and parsnips. They’re priced at £3.50 each, which is cheaper than regular shaped fruit and veg, and there will 20 boxes available in selected stores from today as part of a trial to see if the box is a hit with customers.
Asda's existing wonky veg range – which was expanded last November – also includes misshapen carrots, pears, apples, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes and garlic. Asda have also relaxed specifications on carrots and sweet potatoes in every store across the country, meaning customers will be able to find 340 more tonnes of carrots and 300 more tonnes of sweet potatoes on shelves which would have previously been rejected.
Ian Harrison, Asda’s technical produce director, said: "We’re excited to launch a unique and exclusive Wonky Vegetable box that is jam-packed with ugly winter veg that not only saves shoppers money but helps farmers get more of their crop onto our shelves.
“However, this range only solves one part of the food waste puzzle. The work we continue to do with our growers to ensure as much of their crop is sold as possible, by flexing specifications, is the golden ticket for farmers.
“The initial reception to Wonky Fruit and Veg has been fantastic and we’ve been eager to take this one step further for a while, so the challenge to make wonky veg more widely available for customers was something we happily accepted from Jamie and Jimmy.”
See also
'Champions 21.3' coalition wants action to halve global food waste
Morrisons to find home for unsold food
