Tesco and Jamie Oliver have joined up to “help make healthier choices a little easier for customers”.

In his first act for the UK retailer, the celebrity chef and restaurateur will front Tesco’s ‘helpful little swaps’ in store, where healthier alternatives offer reduced levels of sugar, salt and fat, as well as being cheaper for customers. A basket of ‘helpful little swaps’ will cost 12 per cent less than a regular basket.

The Tesco and Jamie Oliver partnership has been forged in the wake of research by the grocer showing seven in 10 families want supermarkets to help them lead healthier lives and make healthier choices more affordable.

Oliver said the survey results back up what he hears from his audience every single day: “Britain wants to know how to enjoy more of the good stuff, in easy fun and delicious ways. This makes this partnership one of the most exciting opportunities to actually get Britain eating and celebrating more of their five fruit and veges a day.

“I’m going to work really hard to respond to the different seasons and what the customer is asking for, by creating exciting meals, shortcuts and tips that get people really fired up to cook. Tesco’s part is to make it easier and more affordable.”

Alessandra Bellini, chief customer officer at Tesco, said: “Jamie’s passion and skill to inspire a nation to cook, coupled with our experience and reach in providing millions of customers and colleagues with healthy, quality, affordable ingredients will be a great combination to help people take simple steps to leading healthier lives. This is a natural step in our ongoing work to make healthier eating a little easier.”

As part of the partnership, a series of healthier recipes and tips will be in store and online created for Tesco by Oliver. Many of the ingredients from the recipes will be reduced in price and placed together for convenience for customers – with a focus on British fruit and vegetables.

Oliver said that during the past few years, under its new leadership, Tesco has consistently raised the bar when it comes to so many important initiatives: from food waste, to leading on industry reformulation and helping kids eat more fruit with its brilliant Free Fruit for Kids in-store program.