Tesco in ‘FAKE’ food row - ‘you’re talking BULL!’

The major UK supermarket sells a range of meat under made-up farm brands – including Woodside Farm.

But a man owns a genuine farm called Woodside, which also sells pork – the same as Tesco’s made-up brand.

Now the farmer, Richard Baugh from Nottinghamshire, is threatening to take Tesco to court if it does not drop the “fake farm name”.

And he’s being backed by food charity Feedback which has been urging supermarkets to stop using “fake farm” branding as it “misleads shoppers”.

“Let’s be clear – supermarkets are selling meat under fake farm names, deliberately encouraging consumers to believe that the meat is sourced from small-scale producers,” Feedback’s campaign director Jessica Sinclair Taylor told the Guardian.

“We believe this is peddling a load of bull.”

Woodside Farm has graced Tesco’s value pork range since March 2016 – when it launched seven own-label “farm” brands.

The labels, including Nightingale Farms and Suntrail Farms, were created based on British-sounding but fictitious names.

Since then Asda has launched its Smart Price food range as “Farm Stores”, Aldi has replaced its Wood Farm brand with “Nature’s Pick” and Lidl has launched “Birchwood Farm”.

The real Woodside Farm claim its customers have been confused as to why Tesco is using their farm name.

“We’ve been raising pigs at Woodside Farm for 20 years – this is our livelihood,” farmer Richard told the Guardian.

“When it first came out customers were asking all the time whether we were supplying Tesco.

“We don’t, our pork is free-range and we think it’s higher welfare and quality than the pork they’re selling, and we’re proud of that.”

When Daily Star Online contacted Tesco for comment a spokesman declined to comment.