How Did a Tesco in Orkney Accidentally End Up With 38,000 Bananas? What to Know About the Mistake

A small Scottish island supermarket received enough bananas for nearly two per resident — and couldn’t send them back to the vendor.

The Tesco store in Kirkwall, the main town in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland, had intended to order just over 3,000 bananas. A system error delivered 38,000 bananas instead. The entire population of Orkney is about 22,000, according to the National Records of Scotland. Unable to return the surplus, the store gave every box away for free.

How Did a Tesco in Orkney Accidentally Order 38,000 Bananas?

The store placed an order for 380 kilograms — roughly 750 pounds — of bananas. Instead, it received 380 wholesale boxes, each containing about 100 bananas.

Paula Clarke, who posted about the situation on the Orkney Every Little Helps Facebook page, said the error came down to a “glitch in the system.”

A Tesco spokesperson said, “Due to an over order of bananas to our Kirkwall Superstore, colleagues have been inviting local schools and community groups to collect the fruit to redistribute locally.”

Why Couldn’t the Extra Bananas Be Shipped Back?

The boxes normally would have been returned to the mainland. But the area experienced high winds, which disrupted ferry service and made the return logistics impossible. With 380 boxes sitting in the store and no way to ship them back, the store turned to the local community.

How Did the Store Give Away the Bananas?

Clarke posted a plea on the Facebook page: “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”

“Any local groups, schools etc can come and collect a box, free from the Customer Service Desk at Tesco,” she added.

The Orkney Islands Council confirmed it received some of the boxes at its schools, including Stromness Academy, Kirkwall Grammar School and Papdale Halls of Residence for pupils to enjoy.

Days later, Clarke said all the boxes had been distributed to community groups and schools across the area, marking the end of the great banana surplus.

The effort reached even the most remote part of the island chain. Paula and Tesco organized for the last of the bananas to be sent by plane to North Ronaldsay, the county’s northernmost island with a population of around 70 people.

What Did Orkney Residents Make With All Those Bananas?

Clarke posted photos of banana bread and banana muffins via Facebook with the caption: “What will you make with bananas? We have an awesome tasting banana loaf and muffins.”

In the comments section of the post, residents shared their own creations, including dehydrated bananas, banana pancakes, banoffee cakes and other sweet treats.

This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.