// Lidl faces £2.7m lawsuit from fruit & veg supplier for cancelling and reducing orders with insufficient notice
// Proctor & Associates founder Deane Proctor said he has been “stabbed in the back” by Lidl
Lidl is facing a £2.7 million lawsuit for allegedly “destroying” a family-owned fruit and vegetable supplier.
Proctor & Associates founder Deane Proctor is suing the grocer for cancelling and reducing orders with insufficient notice, as well as poaching his own suppliers.
Proctor said he has been “stabbed in the back” by Lidl, despite their 20-year relationship.
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He added that the German discounter has made use of his expertise over the 20 years, but cut him out of deals and dropped his produce.
“There weren’t many suppliers in Britain that wanted to deal with the discounters at the time,” Proctor said.
“For a long time I helped to sell the idea of working with Lidl to the farmers.”
His business with Lidl ended in June last year and his firm has now been forced to close down.
Proctor said he had had an informal meeting with a previous Adjudicator, Christine Tacon, but “came away feeling dejected”.
A Lidl spokesman said: “We are in the process of reviewing the claims and will be responding in due course.”
