Basic Broccoli spears hurt your wallet

The Honest Labelling campaign has seen many examples of saints and sinners over the past few months from small brands to large multiples. However today it’s the turn of J Sainsbury’s to feature as “sinners” on the Honest Labelling campaign.

You may think you getting a cheaper value product by opting for the Sainsbury’s “Basics” range and therefore saving your hard earned pennies during these tough times. Wrong. On closer inspection of the Sainsbury’s Basic Broccoli it turns out that it is in fact more expensive than the loose heads in a crate, loose heads being £1.97 per Kg and basics broccoli priced at £2.63 per Kg. However this dramatic price variation of 66p per Kg is only evident on close inspection when examining the conveniently coloured label which shows (more to the point barely shows due to the colour combination used) the price difference.

When this was queried in store, the vegetable department manager responded by explaining that the difference in price was because Basics broccoli (which is in individual florets in a plastic bag) comes from “plants that are perhaps not as good or perhaps thinner so it has to be cut up”. Surely this should make it cheaper? The vegetable department manager then changed her story and said that the loose broccoli comes from Spain – but was forced to change her story again when it was pointed out that the “Country of Origin” on the Basics bag also said Spain. She then said that she would take it up with “the buyer” and then walked off. Sainsbury’s care line were equally evasive over the subject.

A few days later Sainsbury’s had a big sign up over the broccoli, one which had been designed to look like its written on a blackboard a la “farmers market” style –  ”British Broccoli – fresh and in season!”.  It was then pointed out that every single solitary head of broccoli bagged or otherwise, was from Spain. The sign was taken down immediately.

This sign has now been replaced by a big notice reminding people that they can use the broccoli stalk (the bit that remains after the florets have been trimmed off) “to add to soups and stews – so no waste!  Even better value!”  However this obviously only applies to the loose heads, rather than the “Basics” which is chopped into individual florets and doesn’t have any stalk (and for the privilege you are unknowingly paying through the nose for). J Sainsbury’s are playing games with their consumers, and it’s wrong!

In response to these allegations of misleading labelling, Sainsbury’s Customer Manager had this to say “The basics range broccoli comes prepared and packaged and therefore a price comparison with loose broccoli would give a misleading view. Our basics range is cheaper compared to the equivalent Sainsbury’s packed broccoli florets but loose broccoli will be cheaper as it has not been prepared or pre-packaged” and that “the difference in price reflects the need for processing and packing the Basics broccoli”.

So buyers beware, don’t be mislead by Sainsbury’s basics, it’s not necessarily value for money.

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