Waitrose’s orchards and vineyards have been granted regenerative agricultural certification, as the supermarket ramps up its commitment to sustainability.

Grapes, apples and pears grown at the upmarket grocer’s Leckford Estate in Hampshire have been approved by global regenerative agriculture verification company Regenified.

The certification means that the farm has been recognised for its commitment to grow produce in a way that is more friendly and sustainable for nature.

The move marks the next step in Waitrose’s goal to have a permanent Centre of Excellence at its Leckford farm, to provide tools, workshops and online resources to support farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture.

Leckford Estate head Andrew Hoad said: “We are incredibly proud to be the first vineyard and orchard in the UK to achieve Regenified’s certification.

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“Our commitment to regenerative farming reflects our belief that producing high-quality products and caring for the environment go hand in hand. This builds on our regenerative farming journey and we hope to see more farmers embrace similar practices which could lead to certification.”

It is not the first initiative Waitrose has adopted in its journey to shift towards more agriculturally friendly practises.

Earlier this year, the supermarket collaborated with regenerative farming bakery brand Wildfarmed, and launched a new Farmhouse loaf using nature friendly wheat grown on the Leckford Estate.

Speaking to Grocery Gazette earlier this year, Waitrose senior agriculture manager Jake Pickering said that regenerative farming will not impact consumer food prices and the supermarket will “always be exceptional value”.

“It’s about delivering regenerative agriculture, and it doesn’t have to cost more money. We can deliver this while being the very best value in the market.

“We’ve seen that already in many of the things we’ve done across animal welfare. We’ve done that without significantly increasing the cost, so we know it can be done, and we would do the same in terms of farming in harmony with nature,” added Pickering.