The excess fruit was offered “to local schools and community groups,” a spokesperson for Tesco tells PEOPLE
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NEED TO KNOW
- A Tesco supermarket location accidentally ordered about 38,000 bananas due to a “glitch in the system”
- The store ordered 380 boxes of bananas instead of 380 kg of bananas, which would have been about 3,000 bananas
- The store ultimately was able to donate the excess product to a variety of local charities and organizations
A supermarket gave away about 38,000 bananas after the store ordered too many boxes.
A Tesco in Kirkwall, a town in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland, recently intended to order 380 kg of bananas (about 3,000 individual fruits). However, a technical error ultimately led to a delivery of 380 boxes, each containing about 100 bananas, according to the BBC.
Excess product would typically be returned to the mainland, but high winds and rough waters surrounding the island this week meant that the bananas could not be shipped back, per the outlet. Because of this, the store has been giving the fruit away to members of the community.
“We have mountains of bananas….literally lol!!!! Would any local groups like to come along to the store and collect a box for free? Pop past the Customer Service Desk to collect,” Tesco community champion Paula Clarke posted on Facebook on March 28.
In response to a comment on the post, Clarke shared that the order error was due to a “glitch in the system.”
Credit: Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty
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She also posted photos of homemade banana bread and muffins in an effort to encourage people to come claim some bananas and avoid waste.
“What will you make with bananas?,” she captioned the photo.
Members of the community quickly responded to the posts, requesting boxes be put aside for local childcare centers and community kitchens. Some also provided suggestions for local charities and organizations that might benefit from a donation.
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On March 31, Clarke shared that the last boxes of bananas were headed to North Ronaldsay, one of Orkney’s most remote islands.
A spokesperson for Tesco confirmed to PEOPLE that the excess fruit was offered “to local schools and community groups,” and that “all the bananas have now been redistributed to these good causes.”
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