Regional and local sourcing

Waitrose is the only supermarket to sell local products within a 30 mile radius of a branch.

Waitrose has a team of buyers dedicated to seeking out local and regional sources of the best quality food that often cannot be found in other supermarkets.

They track down farmers, growers and suppliers, many of them small, family-run businesses, who may want to supply only a handful of Waitrose branches. Follow this link to meet some of our regional and local suppliers.

A product is defined as 'local' if it is made within a 30-mile radius of the Waitrose branch where it is sold. Local products in Waitrose shops include fruit and vegetables, sausages, bacon, ice cream, wines, cheeses, sauces, and honey. At present more than 1200 local products from 450 local suppliers are available in nearby branches.

Products are made largely from locally produced ingredients, free from unnecessary additives and are usually delivered straight to the branch by the supplier. Similar criteria of quality and freshness apply to 'regional' produce, but it comes from a larger area and is more widely available, for example, East Anglian potatoes.

Our local and regional produce is clearly labelled so customers can easily spot the provenance. We now have regional fuit & vegetables in 86 branches and will be extending out to a further 53 branches this summer.

Waitrose's Small Producers' Charter reassures our smaller suppliers that we are committed to a fair and ethical relationship with them and our yearly Made in Britain awards gives Small British producers the opportunity to showcase their produce and win cash prizes in a variety of categories.