Brexit Bonanza: Grocery Prices Set to Fall in Shock EU Shake-Up

• Border checks scrapped on key fruits and vegetables under new Brexit deal
• Move slashes red tape and cuts £200m in supply chain costs
• Tomatoes, cherries and grapes among foods now classed ‘medium risk’
• Changes welcomed by shoppers – could lower prices by next month
• New rules freeze extra controls until at least 2027

British shoppers are in for a Brexit boost as Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘reset deal’ axes planned border checks that could have sent food prices soaring.

Under a dramatic U-turn, routine inspections on fruit and veg coming from the EU – due to begin next month – have been binned. The move is expected to cut red tape, speed up supply chains and slash £200million in costs for food importers, who had warned the controls could push small businesses to the brink.

Baroness Hayman, biosecurity minister, hailed the shake-up: “This Government’s EU deal will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses.”

Samantha Leathers reported in Express Premium that items such as tomatoes, grapes, cherries, peaches and peppers – once labelled ‘medium risk’ – will now glide through ports without added inspections or fees.

For shoppers, that means less faff for importers, and more bang for your buck at the till. Supermarkets are expected to pass savings on to consumers from next month, just in time for BBQ season.

The industry had long been warning that extra checks would fuel inflation, disrupt supply chains, and pile pressure on small grocers. The latest change delays any new checks until at least January 2027 – a move described as a “contingency measure” by officials.

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk said, “If this means cheaper tomatoes and peppers at the till, I’m all for it. Cutting red tape is a win for shoppers and businesses alike – and with summer around the corner, it couldn’t come at a better time.”