Working with our suppliers

Sourcing and exporting the best of British

British customers trust and support British produce. So do we: over 70% of the products we sell are from British growers and suppliers. It’s why we take pride in building long-term relationships with our UK suppliers, homegrown partnerships with a good understanding of each other’s businesses resulting in long-term growth for both sides.

In getting behind Britain we have grown not only as a UK retailer, but as a UK exporter too. Operating in a close international network has enabled us to export a huge range of British products, creating hundreds of jobs and supporting the wider UK economy. 

Back British Farming charter

We are proud to source so many of our products from British suppliers. Endorsing the National Farmers' Union's Back British Farming charter means we're supporting local farmers and producers, as well as the wider British economy, by exporting goods to Lidl stores in other countries. Our customers here can enjoy homegrown and quality produce, knowing that the farmers are valued for their vital role.

NFU Fruit and Veg Pledge

We are proud to demonstrate our commitment to UK growers through adopting the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Fruit and Veg Pledge.

Championing best practice in the fresh produce sector, the code is designed to cultivate strong and longstanding relationships between retailers, intermediaries and growers. By throwing our weight behind the nationwide initiative to back British farmers, we are underlining our commitment to working in a sustainable way with all of its growers.

Having worked closely with many of our growers for more than 15 years, we also fully recognise the complexities of fruit and vegetable production. Backing the pledge highlights our commitment to putting supplier security, fair terms, price certainty and elimination of waste top of the agenda in every step of its sourcing policy. 

Red Tractor

Lidl is committed to sourcing high quality fresh meat and poultry from British farms. We work closely with Red Tractor to ensure that our British meat and poultry is responsibly sourced to strict food hygiene, animal welfare and environmental standards with every pack traceable to the farm of origin. This guarantees our customers a fresh, locally sourced, high quality range of meat and poultry, at excellent value.

British Dairy Farming

While Lidl always offers its customers unbeatable value, it does not believe in a market that is not fair to all businesses involved. We have been closely monitoring the challenges currently being faced by British dairy farmers and have become increasingly concerned about the sustainability of the industry as a result of global market conditions. As such we have taken the decision to increase the price we pay farmers through our processors to 28 pence per litre as of Monday, 17th August 2015.

Lidl UK Buying Director Paul Gibson said: ‘We are proud to have developed and maintained strong, long-standing relationships with all our dairy suppliers, many of whom we have worked with for over fifteen years. Lidl UK will continue to champion the British farming industry both locally and abroad through our large volume of exports, which give consumers right across Europe the opportunity to enjoy fresh British produce.’