From our beef and chicken to our fish and dairy, when you shop with the Co-op, you can be sure that whatever you put in your basket’s had a lot of love and care put into it, and farmed with animal welfare as a priority.
That’s because we only work with suppliers, producers and farmers we know and trust, who share our belief in honesty and fairness, and can meet our strict animal welfare standards.
And, since you told us that buying British is important to you, 100% of our own label fresh and frozen meat is sourced from UK farms – more than any other supermarket – helping support your local farmers and their communities.
Plus, our farmers are members of our Co-op farming group which works closely with our Farming and Fisheries team, helping us build bonds with the farming community to ensure the food you buy is of the highest standards.
So, when you fill your basket with Co-op food, you can shop with confidence that you’re getting top quality products.
Our meat farmers follow strict animal welfare regulations
Animal welfare is a priority for us – regardless of budget. We make sure every farmer we work with agrees. Tony Wright farms turkeys for us in Norfolk, and he’s proud to look after a flock that’s enjoying a high quality of life.
“They’re lively, they’re noisy, they’re inquisitive,” says Tony. “They’re displaying their natural behaviour and that’s how we know they’re happy and healthy. We don’t leave until the birds are alright, and then I’m on call 24/7, so if there’s any problem, I get called out again.”
Plus, because Co-op’s fresh meat is 100% British, when you buy from us, you’re supporting your local farmers, not to mention the wider agricultural sector. And that’s the same whether you’re buying fresh Co-op chicken, lamb, turkey, pork or beef.
Fish and seafood that’s always responsibly sourced
These days, it’s more important than ever to make sure we’re protecting our oceans. That’s why all our own brand fish and seafood – from our Lightly Dusted Lemon & Pepper Sole Fillets to our Smoked Haddock & Mature Cheddar Melting Middles Fishcakes – is sourced from farms and fisheries that are certified to at least one of three independent schemes
We require all our seafood to be certified as environmentally responsible by the ASC, Global GAP or BAP, helping protect the marine ecosystem and looking after the ocean’s fish stocks, helping you be confident you’re making an ethical choice.
Supporting British dairy farmers
Just like our fresh meat, all of our Co-op own brand Cheddar cheese, butter and delicious cream and milk is 100% British.
In fact, to make sure your milk is as fresh as possible, the dairy farmers we work with – almost 170 of them – have mastered the art of getting milk from their farm to our fridges in just 24 hours.
Additionally, when you buy dairy from us, you’re supporting our British Dairy Farming Group, which helps our farmers get a fair price for for every litre they produce.
That includes Dumfries-based brothers Richard and Grant Walker, who have over 500 pedigree Holstein cows. When their cows aren’t being milked, the herd enjoys a high quality of life which includes access to grazing pastures (where possible and in season). That’s because, as with all our other dairy farmers, Richard and Grant’s farm must comply with Red Tractor’s strict welfare regulations.
More on our animal welfare regulations
We have our own animal welfare standards, which reflect our 100% British pledge for chicken, pork, turkey, beef lamb, and boxes of eggs. Our farmers follow the Five Freedoms welfare code which guarantees protection of their animals’ physical and mental health, and we support welfare schemes like Red Tractor, RSPCA Assured and our own animal welfare standards.
Plus, all our own-brand cosmetics and household products are cruelty-free, and have been proudly carrying the Cruelty Free International logo since 2004. Find out more in our latest report on animal welfare at Co-op.
Ben Chilman,
Undergraduate Agricultural Marketing Co-ordinator
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