Tesco takes giant Fruity Pick ’n’ Mix to five UK stores as free school produce scheme reaches 1,000 schools

Tesco is marking 1,000 schools joining its free fruit and vegetable programme with a giant Pick ’n’ Mix pop-up, as almost 20 million portions have been distributed since its launch.

Tesco is marking a major expansion of its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme by taking a giant Fruity Pick ‘n’ Mix to five of its stores across the UK, while also celebrating the scheme reaching 1,000 schools. According to Tesco, the pop-up activity is intended to highlight the retailer’s work on children’s health and to encourage shoppers to rediscover fresh produce in a playful way.

The initiative, now in its third year, provides funding to schools with above-average numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals. Tesco says the programme, run with the British Nutrition Foundation and Groundwork UK, has distributed almost 20 million free portions of fruit and vegetables since launching in October 2024. The retailer says pupils have been offered a wide mix of produce, from everyday favourites to less familiar items such as blueberries, watermelon and asparagus, as part of efforts to help children build confidence around healthier food.

Claire de Silva, Tesco’s head of communities, said the scheme is about more than snacks, arguing that fruit and vegetables at school can give children the chance to try something new while also supporting them as they learn and play. She added that the company wants to reach more families in communities where fresh produce can be harder to access. Tesco has said it wants to help up to one million schoolchildren across the UK gain access to free fruit and vegetables through its school and community programmes by July 2029.

The milestone comes after Tesco stepped up support for the scheme over the past year. In February 2025, the company committed an additional £4 million to the programme, with a particular focus on areas where more than half of pupils receive free school meals. Tesco later said that more than 550 schools would benefit in the 2025/2026 academic year. The retailer also said customers can help direct additional support through the blue token vote in stores, while a separate donation campaign is due to run across UK shops and Tesco.com between 7 September and 4 October 2026, with 1p donated for every fresh fruit, vegetable and salad product sold, up to £2.3 million.