Tesco has issued an apology after displaying bilingual signs in Welsh instead of Cornish at a supermarket in Helston, Cornwall. The signs incorrectly featured the Welsh word “pysgod” for fish and “tatws melys” for sweet potato, instead of their Cornish equivalents.
Campaigners welcomed Tesco’s efforts to embrace the Cornish language but criticised the mix-up, emphasising the need for greater accessibility to accurate Cornish wording. Cllr Loveday Jenkin of Mebyon Kernow noted that while Welsh and Cornish share similarities, proper use of Cornish would have been more meaningful for the local community.
Labour MP Perran Moon expressed support for bilingual signage but stressed that the error underlines the importance of making Cornish language resources more widely available.
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Garry Tregidga, co-director of the University of Exeter’s Institute for Cornish Studies, acknowledged the mistake as embarrassing but underscored the positive aspect of increased recognition and use of Cornish. He encouraged Tesco to correct the signs and welcomed collaboration to ensure future accuracy. Tregidga also highlighted the UK government’s recent official recognition of Cornish on par with Welsh and Gaelic as an opportunity to strengthen Cornish cultural identity.
Welsh language campaigner Ffred Ffransis commented on the broader push in Wales for consistent bilingual signage in day-to-day retail settings, aiming to reinforce Welsh as an active language.
In response, a Tesco spokesperson apologised for the error and confirmed the incorrect signs had been removed.