The supermarket said that there are many hundreds of grape varieties and that different varieties have different flavour and texture profiles
Tesco is trialling a new way of selling grapes, labelling them with their flavour or texture to help customers pick their perfect bunch.
The supermarket giant recognises that while many shoppers think of grapes simply as red, green, or black, there’s actually a whole world of variety out there.
It said other fruits like apples are sold by variety, such as Gala and Braeburn, and even wine, which is categorised by grape type and style.
Tesco is testing out packaging that highlights whether grapes have a tropical or candy flavour, or a satisfying crunch. This experiment is rolling out in 220 stores, alongside the usual range of table grapes, as Tesco aims to get to grips with what really makes its 30m customers tick when it comes to these juicy snacks.
Early signs suggest Brits are all about that crunch, followed by a love for tropical tastes, with candy flavours coming in third. James Cackett, Tesco’s fruit technical manager, shared: “If you ask anyone how many grape varieties there are, most people are likely to tell you three – red, green and black.”
He added: “And that was pretty much the case until the turn of the century when fruit breeders began looking at how to naturally improve flavour, crunchiness and sweetness, which is a wholly natural process, to deliver better quality grapes all round.”
Tesco’s innovative trial could lead to a wider selection of grapes on shelves if it turns out that customers are keen on choosing their grapes for more than just colour.
“Now with the advance in breeding technology we have the possibility to draw from many hundreds of new grape varieties which will allow us to deliver exactly what our customers want, and that’s the reason why we have set up these trials.”
He explained that these trials will “allow us to better gauge and understand the attributes our shoppers prefer”. The initiative is a collaboration between Tesco, AMT Fresh—a Peterborough-based global fruit importer—and leading global fruit developers Bloom Fresh.
Rachel Botha, head of commercial at AMT Fresh, commented: “This project, which we are implementing with Tesco through the Jaffa brand, is the most far-reaching research ever undertaken in the UK to understand British consumers’ table grape-eating preferences, redefining the way they are segmented and marketed.”
“We are working with the world’s foremost fruit breeding companies to supply the grapes that British shoppers want to consistently see on supermarket shelves.”
She highlighted that “Thanks to advances in technology we now have the ability to do just that.”
Botha added that the trial “reflects the strengths of our breeding programmes, the commitment of growers eager to explore new possibilities, and Tesco’s openness to pioneering shopper-focused initiatives”.
