The regional origin of fruit and vegetables is very important to the vast majority of customers. PENNY is picking up on this trend and creating its own overarching regional brand - "Marktliebe Regional". PENNY understands the concept of regionality to mean that the products are produced in the respective labelled federal state or higher-level growing region. PENNY currently has up to 200 varieties of fruit and vegetables in its range, around half of which come from conventional and organic production in Germany: up to 50 items are regional fruit and vegetables. The plan is to further increase the proportion of regional products across all relevant product areas.

"With the new regional brand, we are creating even more transparency, orientation and reliability for our customers. They can see directly on the packaging which federal state the fruit and vegetables come from. The previous regional window label will remain on all products. This step also means that we will continue to expand the range of regional products at PENNY. We already source almost half of our fruit and vegetable range from Germany. We will continue to increase this proportion - also for other product groups. Regional products - up to 50 items of fruit and vegetables - have short transport routes, are good for the climate and we support local production, which makes us a little less dependent on long supply chains," says Philipp Stiehler, Managing Director of REWE Group Buying/Ware Discount. Customers can also recognise regional items - including branded products - by the corresponding price tag.

A passion for tomatoes from the region: farmer Jana Knodt

To mark the launch of the new regional brand, tastings of regional fruit and vegetables were organised at four locations. We attended the tasting in Pulheim and spoke to farmer Jana Knodt from Landfrisch AG, which produces tomatoes, various types of lettuce and kohlrabi at its 16-hectare site in Grevenbroich. She believes it is right to further expand the regional fruit and vegetable range: "We want our products to be bought by all customer groups, including those who are particularly keen on regionality. Our focus has always been on regional products, as it is important to produce sustainably and conserve resources. The tomatoes from the PENNY regional brand "Marktliebe", which we are offering for tasting today, come from a greenhouse in Grevenbroich, which obtains the heat it needs from the exhaust air of the neighbouring power plants. This reduces CO2 emissions and enables us to deliver consistent quality of our agricultural produce all year round," says Knodt.

PENNY store manager Saljoscha Steinfort, who has been managing the PENNY store on Sonnenallee in Pulheim for two years, welcomes the fact that the regional fruit and vegetable range at PENNY is being further expanded: "It's important for customers to know where the produce comes from. They want to be close to the product. That's why regional products are increasingly in demand. In times of rising energy prices, the sustainability aspect is becoming even more important."

The tastings took place in these PENNY stores

- 30 May, Vitarom Neurath, at PENNY, Sonnenallee 7, in 50259 Pulheim
- 02 June, Gemüsebau Steiner, at PENNY, Traunring 2 in 83301 Traunreut
- 02 June, Hauschildts Obsthof, at PENNY, Harsefelder Straße 44 in 21680 Stade
- 02 June, Coorßen fruit farm, at PENNY, Bürgermeister-Ahrens-Ring 13, in 19243 Wittenburg

The new own brand is presented on penny.de/regional as well as the farmers and their regional products.