What advice would you give to other retailers considering the BCC?

The key is to start early, breed transition takes years, not months, so build strong, honest partnerships with suppliers and farmers. Once you make a decision to deliver the BCC, stick to it, it is not something you can change your mind about as the transition takes time and investment. If you choose to deliver the BCC, deliver it at scale and without compromise – people really care about welfare regardless of whether they are buying a chicken to roast or a chicken tikka ready-meal.

Treat welfare as a strategic investment, not a compliance exercise, the market demand is there. It’s important to prioritise carcass balance and customer communication. Measuring and reporting on progress, plus a keen focus on project management, throughout will help maintain momentum and internal alignment.

If you lift the bar on welfare, make sure your customers can choose to support the farmers who deliver on it. Clear and consistent labelling is a vital ingredient to unlocking the investment all stakeholders make in delivering higher standards.

What outcomes have you seen since completing the transition?

We have seen improvements in key welfare indicators, including the chickens’ leg health, mortality and natural behaviours. Our farmers are reporting a better experience of caring for their flocks who are happier and able to exhibit more natural behaviours. Customer trust in the brand has strengthened, supported by positive feedback and increased engagement with welfare messaging.

Commercially, the shift has contributed to a sales uplift, demonstrating that customers are willing to support meaningful welfare improvements when they understand the value behind them.

What does the future look like?

We believe the Better Chicken Commitment should become the legal baseline for all poultry production in the UK. We also want to see the Government introduce mandatory method-of-production labelling for chicken (and other meat) so shoppers can easily decide to back British farmers who deliver better lives for farm animals.

Having achieved the BCC, we remain committed to continuous improvement and to working with partners like Pilgrim's Europe to push welfare standards even further.