Today’s shopper wants the food on their plate to match their values. They want transparency, confidence and to trust their supermarket.
That’s why at Waitrose we are proud to announce a groundbreaking leap in animal welfare: from this month we begin the process of adding clear and unambiguous welfare labels to our fresh meat, beginning with all of our own-brand fresh and frozen chicken.
Welfare labelling
We’re the first UK supermarket to introduce welfare labelling, allowing our customers to easily see the higher welfare standards their chicken has been reared to, whether organic, free-range, or Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). Our customers trust us, and we hear them loud and clear when they tell us they want higher welfare and they want British.
Our customers are telling us they want clear transparency and they want to know the food they buy has been produced to the highest standards. When we asked them, nearly all (97%) of our customers said that when they buy fresh chicken they want to know the animals were treated well. Customers want clarity, and they are demanding more animal-friendly ways of farming.
And this isn’t just a promise on packaging. By doing this, we are empowering our customers to take a stand against the animal welfare crisis caused by fast-growing chickens, and backing up our commitment with real action and huge investment.
Super-charging progress
We are super-charging our progress on the Better Chicken Commitment, meaning that by the end of August this year – well ahead of the 2026 deadline – all Waitrose own-brand chicken, from fresh to the chicken used as an ingredient in products such as ready meals, soups and sandwiches – will meet the BCC’s higher welfare standards. Our chickens will have more natural light, more space, no cages and have lived longer, healthier lives. We want the care and effort our dedicated farming group put into producing Waitrose food to be clear to our customers.
This is a trailblazing move for animal welfare and our UK farmers. In our opinion, UK farming is the best in the world and produces food to the highest standards, so collectively we have to make everyday choices to support them.
Without clear labelling to show country of origin and the standard of animal welfare, customers can’t make informed choices and make a difference.
We would like to see a future where animal welfare labelling is mandated to give customers transparent, comparable information regardless of where they shop. I’ve been encouraged to see that boosting welfare is on the government’s priority list, and I want our labelling scheme to be a helpful step towards an industry solution which we, and shoppers, would welcome.
Why it’s important
We all need to eat, so why the fuss about how that food is made and where it’s come from? Because it really matters. If you love food, you probably don’t need us to explain it – where it’s from and how it’s made makes all the difference to taste, enjoyment and health.
Securing the highest standards of animal welfare, and investing in the lives our animals live, is something we simply have to do. If we try to make things as cheap as possible, we’ll end up destroying the way we farm and produce our food. We have to focus on quality, not just on cost.
At Waitrose, we believe clear information is key for shoppers to make informed choices about the standards behind the food they buy. We are proud of the long-standing relationships we have with all of our farmers, who share our passion for animal welfare. But we know true impact comes from industry-wide transparency. That’s why I’d urge others to consider introducing their own transparent labelling.
As I have already said, we are starting with chicken, but intend to introduce welfare labelling across more meat products. It matters, so we’ll continue to invest in better standards and better information for our customers. We must work together to ensure a sustainable future for our farmers and the planet.
James Bailey is the MD at Waitrose & Partners
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