Banana Order Mistake in Orkney
A supermarket in Orkney has been distributing bananas for free after mistakenly ordering approximately 38,000 bananas, nearly twice the population of the islands.
Tesco in Kirkwall intended to order 380kg (750lbs) of bananas but due to an error, ordered 380 wholesale boxes, each containing around 100 bananas.
Delivery and Distribution Challenges
The excess boxes arrived over the weekend and would typically have been returned to the mainland. However, strong winds and ferry disruptions prevented this.
A Tesco spokesperson stated the store has been giving the boxes away to community groups and schools throughout the area.
Community Response and Support
Paula Clarke, Tesco's community champion, posted an appeal on social media, leading toddler groups, football clubs, and local organizations to collect boxes from the supermarket.
Tesco has also arranged to send bananas to Orkney's outer isles.
Previous Order Errors in Orkney
This is not the first time an ordering error has occurred in Orkney. Two years ago, a small independent shop in Sanday, one of Orkney's north isles, accidentally ordered 720 Easter Eggs instead of the intended 80.
That incident resulted in a fundraising campaign for charity. However, due to the shorter shelf life of bananas, a quicker resolution is necessary for the current surplus.
"The superstore has now been giving the boxes away to community groups and schools across the area."
"An appeal was posted by Paula Clarke, Tesco's community champion, on social media, with toddler groups, football clubs and local organisations showing up at the supermarket to collect boxes."
"It is not the first time there has been an order blunder in Orkney in recent years."
