Waitrose has become the first UK supermarket to meet the Better Chicken Commitment across all its own brand chicken.
By the end of August 2025, 100% of Waitrose own brand fresh, frozen and ingredient chicken – including in ready meals, sandwiches and sauces – will meet the BCC.
This is ahead of the industry-wide deadline of 2026.
The retailer said it was a significant achievement and gave shoppers the assurance that every own brand chicken product on its shelves was ethically sourced to industry-leading welfare standards.
“We’re proud to be the only UK grocer to offer BCC welfare standards as a minimum across all our Waitrose branded chicken products,” said Charlotte Di Cello, chief commercial officer at Waitrose. “When we say all we mean it, without compromise – all fresh, frozen, sandwiches, pizza, stock, prepared meals, everything.
“Our customers can be assured that Waitrose continues to be number one for animal welfare.”
The Better Chicken Commitment is a set of higher welfare standards designed to improve the lives of chickens across the supply chain. This means Waitrose chicken is sourced from slower-growing breeds with more space to roam and roost.
The launch is being supported by a new welfare labelling system across all its chicken lines.
The labelling includes five tiers based on farming methods and quality of life to give customers a clear, visual insight into how their food was produced.
The tiers include: A+ Organic, A Free Range, B Better Chicken Commitment, C More Space Indoor and D Standard Indoor, with the bottom two absent from Waitrose own-label lines.
“We’re not stopping there,” said Di Cello. “We’re calling on the UK government to make animal welfare labelling mandatory across all retailers so that all shoppers, regardless of where they buy their food, can make more conscious choices that align with their values.”
This comes after Compassion in World Farming warned that many food businesses and grocery retailers remain unlikely to meet a 2026 deadline for adhering to the criteria of the Better Chicken Commitment.
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