I Went to Tesco, But Not to Shop
14 Aug 2026
Instead I asked the CEO the question on everyone’s mind. Bite Back activist Estel takes us behind the scenes of what it's like growing up as a young person facing a flood of junk food marketing.
Hi, my name is Estel. I am 19, and I am tired of opening my inbox to find it flooded with Tesco Clubcard offers promoting junk food. So when I had the chance to do something my Tesco Clubcard could never give me, I took it.
With Bite Back, I attended Tesco’s Annual General Meeting and asked the CEO directly, ‘what is Tesco doing to promote young people's health, rather than undermine it?’.
Growing up, trips to the supermarket were just part of everyday life. As a child, I was naturally drawn to the bright colours, cartoon characters and eye-catching displays without questioning why. Looking back, I realise those were always the products taking centre stage.
As I got older, the characters changed, but the spotlight never did. Instead of cartoons it became Formula One promotions on KitKat, The Devil Wears Prada 2 collaboration with Aero, Star Wars branded Robinsons drinks and shelves filled with World Cup themed products. Suddenly, products were not just products anymore. They were tied to the films, sports and brands I loved and followed.
In many ways supermarkets are like a stage. Some products are placed firmly in the spotlight backed by promotions and advertising, while healthier options remain in the wings. It’s no coincidence that the products receiving the most attention are often the least healthy.
That’s why attending Tesco’s AGM felt so important to me.
It was not simply about being in the room. For the first time I had the opportunity to move beyond being a consumer and speak directly to the people helping shape the food environment that millions of young people grow up in every day.
Most of us have imagined what we would ask if we ever had the chance to question the CEO of a major company. Usually, it is one of those hypothetical ‘what if’ scenarios. But for me, this was not hypothetical anymore. I had the opportunity to ask Tesco’s CEO why the food environment facing young people so often makes unhealthy choices the most exciting, and whether it was time for them to use their marketing power to promote children’s health.
In response, the CEO said he shared my passion for improving children's health. He highlighted steps Tesco has already taken, including removing confectionery from checkouts and expanding their free fruit programme to reach more schools. He also acknowledged that there is still more to do which I appreciated.
However, I left the AGM feeling that my question had not been fully answered.
While those initiatives are positive, they felt separate from the wider food environment that young people experience every day. Free fruit in schools is an important initiative but it does not reflect the reality many children see when they enter a supermarket.
Tesco's recognition that there is more to do is an important first step. The challenge now is turning that recognition into meaningful action that reflects the reality young people experience every day.
Attending the AGM reinforced the importance of young people having a seat at the decision making table, especially when decisions are made about the environments that shape our health. We deserve supermarkets where the healthy options are easily accessible, not ones where we are constantly bombarded with junk food marketing. And it does not stop at the supermarket doors. The same promotions follow us home through our inboxes, our phones and digital spaces we use all the time, making it almost impossible to escape the constant encouragement to buy a ‘sweet treat.’
Campaigning does not always look like protests or petitions. Sometimes, it means standing up in a room full of shareholders and asking a question that needs answering. For me, the Tesco AGM was only the beginning of the conversation. If supermarkets have the power to influence what’s put in front of us, they also have the power to help create a healthier future for the next generation.
Activists like Estel have attended AGMs of supermarkets and Big Food chains to get direct answers from the CEOs and big bosses.
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