Turning over a new LEAF at Christmas
Arriving in Waitrose branches for the first time this year are British grown Christmas trees carrying the LEAF Marque logo, meaning they have been sustainably grown with care for the countryside and wildlife that live there.
Grown by LEAF Marque certified business, Hopeman Christmas Trees Ltd in the Black Isle, a peninsula in the north of Inverness, the beautiful British Nordman Fir Trees have been produced following LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management Principles. These include measures to protect soil and water, preserve and enhance wildlife habitats, recycle waste and conserve energy.
With a climate that is exceptionally wet but mild in the winter, the Black Isle has the ideal conditions for growing the Christmas trees. They take between 12 and 14 years to grow and are hand pruned during the summer months, after ensuring they have the traditional triangular shape. They are then hand-picked ready to head to stores for the festive season.
The Christmas trees have already captured the imagination of the media with coverage on a number of news websites including the Daily Mail, AOL, Yahoo and MSN.
Samantha Brett, Waitrose Horticulture Buyer comments, “We’ve worked with our growers to make sure our Christmas trees are not only the perfect tree but are grown in a way that gives back to the environment and ensures that they are sustainable. We are really excited that our Christmas trees have been given the LEAF Marque, and we know it’s really important for our customers to know they are doing their bit for the environment when buying their Christmas tree too.”
Quentin Clark, LEAF Director Business Collaboration adds, “LEAF is very proud of its longstanding collaboration with Waitrose. They were the first supermarket in the UK to carry LEAF Marque certified products and we have been working with them for many years to support their core values of sustainability. In the UK, some 33% of fruit and vegetables are being grown by LEAF members, much of which is sold through Waitrose. The availability of sustainably produced LEAF Marque Christmas trees is a wonderful addition to this and will enable Waitrose customers to reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season. We’re keen to remind people as well that the LEAF Marque is not just about fruit and vegetables but that cereal, livestock, and now even Christmas trees are produced to the same environmental standard.”
Waitrose will be selling both cut and pot grown trees and they will be available from the last week of November.
Article source: Waitrose
