Tesco relaunches free fruit scheme for millions of customers

The healthy eating scheme will run for two weeks

A major UK supermarket has announced it will give free fruit to shoppers for the next fortnight.

From 30 December to 13 January, children shopping with their families at Tesco will be able to pick up free apples at the checkout.

The offer is available at more than 800 large Tesco stores across the country, while customers using the chain’s click and collect service in 119 of its large stores will be given free apples.

Tesco said the apples provided will be British-grown from six UK suppliers in an attempt to provide more children with access to fruit.

It is part of the supermarket chain’s “Less to pay for 5-a-day” campaign, and it expects to give away more than 3 million apples over the two-week period.

It is designed to continue the work of Tesco’s expanded fruit and veg for schools programme. In the last academic year, around 140,000 children were supported with over ten million portions of fruit and vegetables.

The offer will be available at hundreds of Tesco stores (Getty)

Ashwin Prasad, UK CEO at Tesco, said: “We’re committed to making healthy choices easier, quicker and better value for our customers.

“With new offers, Clubcard Challenges, free fruit for kids and fresh online recipes, we’re helping kids get more of their five‑a‑day, and making healthy eating fun for the entire nation.”

It is part of a wider strategy from Tesco to increase access to fruit and vegetables, as government figures show that fewer than one in 10 children and one in five adults eat the recommended five-a-day.

Selected customers will also be invited to earn Clubcard points through challenges to encourage buying fruit and veg, beans and pulses, canned products and dried fruit.

Meanwhile, Clubcard prices and offers will be available on fruit and vegetables.

The Clubcard challenges will run from 12 January to 22 February.