Selling less-than-perfect fruit to reduce waste

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jun 19th 2006 @ 12:04PM

Starting today, the UK supermarket chain, Waitrose, is launching a new project that will promote the sale of less-than-perfect seasonal fruits and vegetables, in addition to their standard produce. They will be offered at a discounted rate, 50p to £1 off from the original price, and marketed as being ideal for use in cooking. Supermarkets have long been criticized for only wanting to buy and sell totally unblemished products, a stance than has furthered farmer's efforts to produce hearty produce, sometimes at the expense of flavor or through an increase use of pesticides. With the new plan, not only will more produce be used, but consumers will gradually be introduced to the idea that not ever apple or tomato is always perfectly round or perfectly red.

Think of it as shopping at a discount store where the products have tags indicating that there is a manufacturer's defect, like a small run in the side or a crimp in the hem, because the principal is similar. The quality of the product will be the same, if not better, but the goods will not be quite as pretty. The range will include will include year-round fruits like rhubarb and Bramley apples, in addition to seasonal plums, cherries, pears and berries.

Not every strawberry can be without a slightly smushed edge from shipping nor can every pear be perfectly pear shaped. With a discount as incentive, Waitrose is hoping that its customers will see those things, too.

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Filed Under: Budget Cuisine, Stores & Shopping
Tags: blemish, british isles, consumers, fruit, fruits, looks, market, natural, perfect, perfection, pesticides, produce, stores-and-shopping, supermarket, vegetables, waitrose

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-19-2006 @5:03PM mella said... This seems like a wonderful idea. Maybe if we can all get used to the idea of great flavor and value from blemished produce, we can stop spraying the stuff with waxes and pesticides. In the farmers' market where I work, a produce stand sells baskets of bruised tomatoes, apples, onions, etc. for a dollar. Some shoppers seem to feel a stigma about buying the discounted stuff, not wanting to be viewed as cheap or poor. That's alright by me. More beautiful tomatoes to go into my sauce, where no one will ever see the bruise!
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6-19-2006 @6:50PM Candice said... I agree. Some of the best tomatoes I've ever eaten have moved past "ugly" and right into "hideous" territory, but the sandwich doesn't care what it looks like.
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6-19-2006 @7:35PM ~J~ said... Agree with everyone else, it's a brilliant idea (but then again the simple ones usually are!).

I know as a student I'd often get the 'scraps' of a few carrots, parsnips and swede and this would be my stew-pack for the next few days. Who care's how cylindrical and orange the carrot is? When it's chopped up and mixed in with my broth, I really don't care!
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