Shoppers’ taste for organic and premium range food helped boost Christmas and new year sales at Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, which on Tuesday reported a near 6 per cent rise in like-for-like sales during the key trading period.

Building on a trend seen at rivals J Sainsbury, Marks and Spencer and Wm Morrison, Tesco reported a surge of demand for its Organic and “Tesco Finest” ranges of premium products.