Two UK supermarket chains have announced they will stock bent carrots amongst other misshapen fruit and vegetables, in a bid to support farmers hit by drought, after unusually warm weather conditions this summer.

Usually such produce would not have made the grade and been stocked. But German-owned discounter Lidl GB and upmarket retailer Waitrose said they would relax size and shape guidelines for fruit and vegetables affected by the drought.

The move will also hope to tackle food waste.

"Whilst the crop coming out may look and feel a bit different to what we're all used to, it's still the same great British quality," Lidl GB Chief Executive Ryan McDonnell said in a statement.

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Such measures should help farmers make up for any shortfall in overall yields due to the ongoing dry weather and low rainfall.

Large parts of England are officially in a drought for the first time since 2018 following the driest summer for 50 years, forcing water companies to restrict water usage to safeguard supplies.

Waitrose said its latest efforts were part of an existing program to sell misshapen vegetables in an effort to reduce food waste.

A University of Edinburgh study in 2018 estimated a third of fruit and vegetable produce across Europe never reaches supermarket shelves because it fails to meet appearance standards, leading to more than 50 million tonnes of food waste each year.

Waitrose also said it would divert millions of carrots and other misshapen vegetables into its own label soups, ready meals and smoothies.