UK | The biggest-ever survey into Brits’ grape-buying preferences is underway to establish what consumers want.
Due to advances in natural varietal development, there are now hundreds of table grape flavour and texture profiles. The trial, Fruitology, is underway in Tesco stores across the UK.
The groundbreaking trials, which aim to establish precisely what British consumers want, are being conducted exclusively by Tesco, under the Jaffa brand, in conjunction with Peterborough-based global fruit importers AMT FRESH, parent company AMFRESH Group, and leading global fruit developers BLOOMFRESH.
To establish shoppers’ grape preferences, Tesco has sold the fruit in clearly labelled packaging based on three main criteria: tropical flavour, candy flavour, and crunchiness.
Early feedback from the trials, which took place in 220 large-format Tesco stores across the UK, revealed that UK shoppers favoured grapes primarily for their crunchy texture, followed by tropical and candy flavours.
“If you ask anyone how many grape varieties there are, most people are likely to tell you three – red, green and black,” said Tesco Fruit Technical Manager James Cackett.
“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.”
Cackett added that with the advancements in breeding technology, Tesco could draw from hundreds of new grape varieties, allowing the retailer to deliver precisely what its customers want.
“The Fruitology trials allow us to better gauge and understand the attributes our shoppers prefer.”
AMT Fresh, which also supplies Tesco with other fruits and vegetables, was recently in the news for its work in introducing richer-tasting mandarin fruit to the UK. Rachel Botha, Head of Commercial at AMT Fresh, explained the background of the programme.
“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,” said Botha.
“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. Thanks to advances in technology, we now have the ability to do just that.
She said that The Fruitology project reflected the strengths of AMT Fresh’s breeding programmes, the commitment of growers eager to explore new possibilities, and Tesco’s openness to pioneering shopper-focussed initiatives.
