Waitrose is featuring its English growers in store for the first time on point of sale material to emphasise quality, seasonality and the close relationship which they have built up. Strawberry producers Harry Hall of Hall Hunter, Wokingham, and Marion Regan of Maidstone have been the first to appear on posters, and shelf barkers. Between them they account for over 80% of the retailer's English strawberry programmes. Also chosen to coincide with the English salad season is pepper producer Gary Taylor from the Lea Valley; tomato growers Richard Riley and Ian Reid at Runcton, Sussex; and Alan Turner who exclusively produce organic tomatoes at Chiltern Canello near Yeovil, Somerset. Later in the year raspberries, sweetcorn, cherries will be featured. "We want our customers to appreciate the seasonal nature of our produce and our producers are the best people to help us tell that story," says John Foley, head of buying. "We already have a number of methods of communication at our disposal and an abundance of the fruit itself. Now the people who provide that fruit are helping to create fresh interest and drive sales." {{M/E FRESH PRODUCE }}

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