Tesco backs £20m food fund to boost UK affordability
Tesco has committed £20 million to Bramble Partners, the venture capital initiative founded by Henry Dimbleby, who co-founded the restaurant group Leon. As the fund’s lead investor, the supermarket will prioritize ventures that enhance food affordability, nutrition, and environmental responsibility across the UK.
The fund seeks to raise a total of £100 million, directing capital toward businesses specializing in healthier diets and sustainable farming methods. Its inaugural investment supported a startup developing packaging that improves the shelf life of berries, grapes, and baked goods. A second health-focused deal is set to finalize before the week’s end.
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Additional candidates include firms leveraging microbial solutions to cut nitrogen fertilizer use and companies deploying sensors to measure food spoilage through gas emissions. Tesco will integrate select innovations into its supply chain while forming a joint advisory board to assess future collaborations.
Dimbleby, who previously advised the government on food policy, described the alliance as unprecedented in British food investment. He stressed the need to deliver healthy, eco-friendly options to consumers beyond wealthy demographics. In a joint editorial for The Times, Tesco CEO Ken Murphy and Dimbleby warned that shifts in agriculture, spurred by climate pressures, geopolitical tensions, artificial intelligence, and appetite-suppressing drugs, will require businesses to adopt forward-thinking strategies.
