Fruit and vegetables have become more expensive in 2024, with the average household spending 4.4% more on their weekly grocery haul.
Many of us have our favourite supermarkets where we do our weekly shop. However, it’s vital to shop around for the best deals on fresh fruit and veg to save a few pounds. Government statistics reveal that the cost of fruit and vegetables has risen in the UK this year, with the average household spending 4.4% more on their weekly grocery haul. In June, gooseberry prices rocketed by a staggering 243% compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, blackberries saw a price increase of 25%, raspberries were 15% more expensive, apple costs rose by 7%, and strawberries were up by 3%. UK farmers have issued warnings that harvests have been affected by extreme weather conditions, including both droughts due to hot and dry spells, as well as bouts of heavy rainfall.
Other data released in the same month revealed that the majority of people in the UK are not consuming the recommended five portions of varied fruit and vegetables daily. On average, youngsters aged 11 to 18 consume 2.8 portions per day, while adults manage between 3.3 and 3.7 portions.
Meanwhile, a mere 9% of children hit the ‘5-a-Day’ target. For adults, this figure was 17%, equating to fewer than one in five. With these facts in mind, Express reporter Toby Codd decided to visit four UK supermarkets to compare their fruit and vegetable offerings, taking into account their freshness, availability and affordability.
He popped into each store between 4pm and 6pm on a Thursday evening.
Aldi
Toby shared his experience: “The first stop on my supermarket tour was Aldi, known for its affordable prices. Over 90% of products at the discount store are their own in-house lines, which, according to Aldi, allow customers to stock their kitchens with healthier, high-quality items that won’t break the bank.
“In terms of the fruit and vegetable aisles at my local store, the first thing that stood out was the variety on offer. I could see everything from onions and shallots to bananas, apples and carrots. However, the quality of some of the items seemed a bit hit-or-miss. Some of the fresh fruit, including bananas, was bruised or soft.
“If you’re shopping at Aldi, I recommend eating your fruit and vegetables within a couple of days of purchasing. The bananas that I bought started to soften less than 24 hours after my visit.”
The six-pack of Organic Fairtrade bananas cost £1.49, working out at 24.83p each banana. This actually represented the priciest supermarket on his tour. Nevertheless, Aldi’s Super 6 promotion does provide excellent value for money to shoppers. The scheme features six fruit and vegetable items available at specially reduced prices every two weeks.
Sainsbury’s
Toby shared: “I’m a regular Sainsbury’s shopper, so I knew exactly what I was getting in during my latest visit. The shelves are often well-stocked with fresh and appealing fruit and vegetable options. However, after browsing the shelves one thing stood out to me and seemed strange. Some of the items did not have ‘best before dates’.
“Sainsbury’s decided to remove the dates from products such as pears, apples, pineapples, onions and other citrus fruit to stop customers from throwing food away needlessly. They hoped the move would encourage people to use their own judgement on freshness.”
From his observation, all the produce appeared fresh and of high quality. Toby bought a pack of eight Fairtrade Bananas for £1.30, which works out at 16.25p per banana.
While these bananas were cheaper than those at Aldi, they were slightly smaller. However, they boasted a sweeter, fruitier flavour that he found more appealing.
Similar to Aldi, Sainsbury’s offered a good selection of both ripe and unripe bananas. This is ideal as sometimes you might want something to eat straight away, while other times you might be looking for produce that will last a few days.
Waitrose
Waitrose may seem like an odd one out among these four supermarkets. It’s known for its premium, high-quality products, which often mean higher prices and a more upscale shopping experience.
According to Which?, Waitrose consistently ranks as the most expensive supermarket in the UK. However, Toby felt it was crucial to include it in this comparison as some shoppers may be willing to pay a bit more for their fruit and vegetables if it ensures better quality.
Toby shared: “From the naked eye, Waitrose had the biggest variety of fruit and vegetables on offer out of the four supermarkets that I visited. It sold perfectly ripe mangoes, large passion fruits, Waitrose-own brand dragon fruits and figs.
“Although these exotic fruits looked appealing, I still opted for my trust bunch of bananas. I was able to grab five Fairtrade Bananas for £1, equating to 20p per banana.
“Despite being slightly pricier than Sainsbury’s, the difference between the two products the following day was fairly noticeable. The Waitrose bananas remained more yellow and ripe, while the Sainsbury’s bunch had started to darken already.”
Lidl
“I then walked into Lidl. It’s worth noting that this was the last shop that I visited, meaning it was now close to 6pm and the shelves were naturally dwindling,” said Toby.
“While there was still a decent selection, many of the boxes of fruit and vegetables seemed sparse if not empty. There was a distinct lack of availability, which was disappointing.”
However, Lidl seemed to be the most budget-friendly supermarket overall. There were also several deals on offer, including the “Pick of the Week” specials, currently featuring pomegranates and organic British carrots for 79p each.
Despite this, due to limited options, Toby had to buy seven Funsize Bananas for 88p, equating to 12.5p per banana. They were also somewhat soft and squishy, and easily the smallest of the bunch.
Lidl does pride itself on a “Fresh Promise” and has been named Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year multiple times, including in 2024. “I may have just visited at a bad time,” he concedes.
“After visiting and reviewing the four supermarkets (and being left with 26 bananas), it’s time to rank the fruit and vegetable aisles in each (and Google recipes for banana bread).”
Toby’s supermarket scores out of 10
- Aldi – 7
- Sainsbury’s – 9
- Waitrose – 8
- Lidl – 5