Clarkson’s Farm inspire consumers to support British farmers
29th May 2025
A surge in demand for homegrown food has been noticed as a new wave of popular farming programmes — including Jeremy Clarkson’s show as well as Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast series — inspire consumers to support British farmers and buy more local, seasonal produce, Waitrose has confirmed.
Waitrose has seen substantial increases in both sales and searches for British-grown ingredients. This includes, among others, British strawberries, Jersey Royal new potatoes, British beef and British asparagus.
Jake Pickering, head of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries at Waitrose & Partners, said: “Farming shows are doing more than just entertaining us; they’re making the public stop and think about British farming, the people behind it, and the challenges they face.
“Our customers are telling us they want to support UK producers, and we’re proud to be a retailer that champions them every step of the way.”
The movement extends beyond the supermarket shelves. The ‘Farm to Fork’ trend is gaining cultural momentum, with chefs, influencers and restaurateurs highlighting British produce.
Farm-to-fork trend
Chef Julius Roberts champions all things British produce, sharing recipes such as British asparagus puff tarts, and Seb Graus has posted his seasonal asparagus, leek and pea orzo.
New restaurant openings this May, including Stevie Parle’s ‘Town’ in Covent Garden, are also celebrating British produce, showcasing sustainable British ingredients and dishes, such as ‘potato bread with wildfarmed beef dripping’.
Emilie Wolfman, trend innovation manager at Waitrose, added: “We’re observing a shift in how our customers shop, with more actively supporting farmers by filling their baskets with British-grown produce, including berries, local cheeses and beef. What we’re seeing is a genuine shift in how people shop and more people wanting to connect to where their food comes from.”
The rise in interest is also playing out across social media, with mentions of ‘farm-to-fork’ up 20% year-on-year, and discussions about local honey alone growing 28% since this time last year, Waitrose reported.
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