Giles Brook, the boss of coconut water brand Vita Coco has accused Tesco suppliers of ”bleating” about “unfair” treatment at the hands of the supermarket and to accept that “business is business”.

The move follows a report from the Grocery Code Adjudicator which said that Tesco “seriously breached a legally binding code to protect groceries suppliers” and “prioritised” its own finances over those of its suppliers by delaying payments or overcharging in order to boost its own profits.
Giles Brook, whose products are now worth £80 million a year in UK sales, said: “The UK’s number one supermarket has had a bit of a slamming but I’m going to give you a different spin on it. There are far too many suppliers whinging about how supermarkets treat them.

“It’s a tough economic climate out there and too many suppliers are bleating about the retailers,” he continued. “Most people would have a business without the supermarkets. I’m hearing a lot of whinging about unfair treatment but you have a choice at the end of the day.”