Tesco and Morrisons giving away free vegetables to feed special Christmas visitor

Tesco and Morrisons are treating their customers to a very exciting Christmas gift over the next few days - free carrots. 

Tesco is giving away Rudolph's favorite snack for free from December 20 until Christmas Eve, so there's no chance of Santa's magical reindeer going hungry during his worldwide trip this weekend.

Large stands will be stacked with complimentary carrots at the UK supermarket giant's stores over the next four days, giving customers plenty of time to snag the delicious root vegetable ahead of the Christmas season. The sweet gesture will likely be especially welcomed by families with young children, many of whom have been struggling to budget for groceries and presents amid the cost-of-living crisis. 

In Tesco Superstores, Express, and Extra, customers should be able to find free 'Carrots for Rudolph' at the entrance of the stores. 

Morrisons is also participating in the sweet giveaway, with over 175,000 Farmer Christmas-approved Wonky carrots ready to be snapped up in Morrisons stores nationwide between December 22 and 23. Despite being misshapen and/or oversized, the carrots are 100% edible - feeding Rudolph and avoiding food waste at the same time. 

“Christmas is a magical time of year and we want to help our customers celebrate in any way we can," Andy Todd, Senior Carrot Buyer at Morrisons, said. "Our delicious Wonky carrots are hugely popular as they help our British farmers reduce waste and are a cheaper alternative for customers. We only hope the reindeer enjoy them as much as our customers do!" 

Tesco first encouraged its shoppers to take the orange vegetable with a cheerful note back in 2018, and has upheld the tradition every year since. 

Morrisons, however, appears to have been the first supermarket to give away carrots for free in 2016, after its research found that about 6.2 million UK families planned to leave out a snack for Santa and his hardworking reindeer.