Lidl And Aldi Lead The Way With British Fruit Sales

Discounters Lidl and Aldi are out-pacing their full-price grocery rivals in sourcing British fruit for the current season, according to figures published by trade title The Grocer.

The report reveals that both chains have significantly bolstered their volumes of UK-grown fruit, enabling them to “lead the way” in the category.

Data from British Apples & Pears Limited indicates that during the first half of the 2024/25 apple and pear season, both retailers’ shares of British production were notably higher than their overall grocery market shares. The 2026 Fresh Awards Multiple Fruit and Veg retailer of the Year, Aldi, recorded 18,059 tonnes of British apples and pears in the first half of the season, narrowly ahead of Tesco.

Lidl also exceeded expectations. Despite holding just 7.3% of total grocery market share, it accounted for 16.5% of all British apples and pears sold during the same period.

Ali Capper, executive chair of British Apples & Pears, praised the discounters’ strong performance, noting that Aldi’s top-fruit market share is nearly double its grocery share, while Lidl has achieved even more impressive results.

For British growers, the trend is encouraging. Increased support from Aldi and Lidl could help offset challenges such as rising input costs, labour shortages and unpredictable weather conditions.

However, Capper stressed that the season is still young and urged all major supermarkets to strengthen their commitment to British fruit.

With discounters now proving themselves key partners for home-grown produce, growers and suppliers may wish to reassess how they work with the retail sector as the season progresses.