• Administrative error leads to massive banana surplus
• Supermarket distributes excess to schools and local groups

A supermarket chain in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, distributed large quantities of bananas to local residents after staff accidentally placed an order that resulted in receiving around 38,000 bananas—almost double the islands’ population.

The store had originally planned to order 380 kilograms of fruit, but an administrative mistake caused it to order 380 wholesale boxes, each containing about 100 bananas.

Sources say the extra boxes, which arrived over the weekend, were initially meant to be returned to the mainland, but strong winds and ferry disruptions made this impossible.

A spokesperson for the supermarket confirmed that the excess boxes are now being distributed to schools and local organizations across the area.

Paula Clarke, the supermarket’s community initiatives officer, posted a notice on social media, which was met with responses from toddler groups, football clubs, and local organizations who came to collect the boxes directly from the store.

Arrangements have also been made to send bananas to Orkney’s outer islands.

Two years ago, a small shop in Sanday, one of Orkney’s northern isles, made a similar error when it ordered 720 Easter eggs instead of 80, which led to a charitable fundraising campaign.

However, with bananas having a shorter shelf life, the current surplus in Orkney requires a faster solution to avoid waste.