Petal Power: Waitrose Flowers Help Good Grow

• Your bouquet never smelt sweeter, with 100% of Waitrose Valentine's bouquets giving back to the people who grew them
• The flowers are grown on Waitrose Foundation farms, where a percentage of every sale is directly reinvested to support farm workers and their communities
• Waitrose is the only UK supermarket with a dedicated worker-led supply chain programme, with the Waitrose Foundation celebrating its 20th anniversary this year

For the first time, all of Waitrose' Valentine’s Day bouquets this year will contain flowers grown and supplied through Waitrose Foundation farms in Kenya. With shoppers looking for more thoughtful choices when they shop. This Valentine’s offer gives customers the option to give a bouquet that gives back.

Waitrose Foundation flower farms have been in operation since 2009, and currently the Foundation supports 8,000 workers across 5 farms in Kenya and Tanzania. Each year, flowers including roses, spray carnations and lisianthus accrue in the region of £700k towards the Foundation. The funds have helped to deliver over 115 projects in Kenya, the majority focussed on education, healthcare and microloans to boost economic empowerment for workers. 

Along with daily necessities for flower farm workers - such as new solar lamps (to save on energy costs) and gas stoves (to avoid breathing in toxic fumes and saving time and money on sourcing firewood) - the Foundation is also delivering climate resilience programmes, with some aspects in partnership with the FCDO’s Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme. The programme aims to support farmers and workers to better adapt to climate change, diversify their incomes, provide water security to flower farm communities and enhance women’s leadership in climate smart agriculture.
 

Charlotte Di Cello, Waitrose Commercial Director and Chair of the Waitrose Foundation Global Board, said:

“No other UK supermarket can boast having a dedicated initiative for its workers like the Waitrose Foundation - it’s a totally unique and sector-leading way of giving back to the vital people who supply some of our everyday groceries.

“By investing a percentage of every sale back into the communities where we source our fruit, vegetables and flowers, we’re able to support vital projects like maternity clinics, childcare facilities and schools. We’ve seen first-hand the incredible impact these initiatives have, creating a brighter future for families.”
 

When you buy any Waitrose Foundation-labelled product, a percentage of the sale is invested back into the community where it was grown, picked and packed. Funds are dedicated to improve the livelihoods of farmers, workers and their communities, through projects chosen by the workers themselves.

The Waitrose Foundation marks its 20th anniversary this year. Since its inception, over £22m has been generated by customers' purchases, enabling the delivery of over 2,000 community-led projects across 10 countries in Africa, as well as one farm in Costa Rica. In 2023, Waitrose Foundation projects reached over 166,000 farmer, worker and community beneficiaries.
 

Notes to Editors:

• Download Foundation and product imagery, here.
• Customers can shop the Waitrose Foundation bouquets range instore from Monday 10th February 2025.
• Read more about the Waitrose Foundation here, and download our latest annual progress report.
• Browse Waitrose Foundation produce such as fresh fruit, vegetables and wine on Waitrose.co

​About the Waitrose Foundation:
We are the only UK supermarket with a dedicated worker-led supply chain programme, the Waitrose Foundation. By investing back into the communities that grow, pick and pack our produce, the Waitrose Foundation helps to improve lives with every sale.

Every time you buy a Foundation product, a percentage of the sale is invested back into the community it came from. Local worker committees decide how best to spend the money, with funds going towards everything from health clinics and libraries to emergency food parcels, hygiene kits and hardship funds. 
The Foundation initially began in South Africa, and is now in operation in 10 countries globally; including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia, Namibia, Costa Rica and most recently (since 2021): Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. 

There are c. 150 Foundation lines (depending on seasonality) across fresh produce and horticulture, including grapes, berries, stone fruit, exotic fruit, roses, veg and salad.