“We believe that happy pigs make the best pork. Our commitment to 100% British free range across all our Waitrose products reflects our dedication to providing our customers with unbeatable quality, taste, and value with values,” said Charlotte Di Cello, Waitrose’s chief commercial officer.
“When you choose Waitrose pork, you’re not just choosing a meal; you’re choosing ethically raised, delicious British produce and truly backing British farmers who share our values.”
“Waitrose is investing in British pig farming over the next decade, ensuring top-tier animal welfare standards and delivering tasty, high-quality pork at great value.”
Pilgrim’s Partnership
Waitrose already represents 55% of the UK free-range pork market. The new 10-year deal builds on more than 30 years of partnership with Pilgrim’s Europe and British pig farmers which, the retailer said, have seen it ‘continually set the benchmark for the UK pork industry’.
“Pilgrim’s Europe is proud to extend our partnership with Waitrose for another decade,” said Nick Robinson, chief commercial officer at Pilgrim’s Europe.
“This new agreement is a testament to the progress we’ve made together in driving positive change within the industry.”
Jake Pickering, head of agriculture for Waitrose, added: “We’re proud to work with dedicated British farmers who share our passion for animal welfare. These farmers are the heart of our business, and we’re committed to supporting them in delivering exceptional pork.”
Welfare Labelling
Waitrose is moving ahead with welfare labelling, as the government continues to consider regulating to make it compulsory.
All its free-range pork will include a tiered welfare label on the packaging, such as – Organic, Free Range, Outdoor Bred, Enhanced Indoor and Standard Indoor. But it said the lower three will be absent from all Waitrose own brand pork products by 2027.
This follows the launch in April 2025 of Waitrose’s higher animal welfare labelling scheme for chicken.
Waitrose said it believes in transparency and empowering consumers to make informed choices, and continues to advocate for strengthened labeling legislation, including establishing a legal definition for ‘free range pork’, tightening up on the application of country of origin rules for products containing meat ingredients and introducing mandatory method of production labelling ‘to help shoppers be guided by their values regardless of where they shop’.
Todd Baker, from North Farm Livestock, whose family have been Waitrose free range pork farmers for over 30 years, said: “We’re delighted that Waitrose is making this significant investment in free range pork, ensuring that more customers can enjoy the superior taste and quality that comes from ethically raised animals.”
NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said will ‘continue to support Waitrose and its supply chain members’ as it develops its free-range pork offering.
The high-end retailer says this is a ‘global supermarket first’, as it also introduces a new tiered welfare label.