UK supermarket Waitrose & Partners has introduced the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) across its own brand chicken, as it urges Government to make animal welfare labelling mandatory.
After first initiating the move in April, all Waitrose own brand chicken products now meet the BCC standards, the retailer announced.
Waitrose highlighted that its timeline had surpassed the industry-wide deadline of 2026, and the roll-out is reportedly “supported by a first-of-its-kind animal welfare labelling system” across all chicken.
The five-tier system will aim to help customers make informed decisions by rating chicken based on farming methods and quality of life, with the bottom two tiers absent from all Waitrose own brand products.
Waitrose has collaborated with comedian, musician, and creator of the BAFTA award-winning Taskmaster, Alex Horne, and his band, The Horne Section, to release a song urging the nation to “check, check, check your chicken”. It will work to encourage shoppers to look at the welfare credentials of their chicken.
Alex Horne commented: “It’s a privilege to be part of such a positive step for animal welfare. All of Waitrose’s chicken checks out against the Better Chicken Commitment standards or higher, and that’s something worth putting into jingle form. If this song gets people thinking more about where their chicken comes from and how it was raised, then I’ll consider it a successfully catchy tune.”
Nathan Ansell, chief customer officer at Waitrose, stated: “Working with our creative partners – and Alex Horne and The Horne Section – we’ve been able to launch a campaign that celebrates our commitments with honesty, humour, and one hell of an earworm. We hope it encourages UK shoppers to check, check, check their chicken.”
The song will be rolled out across TV, social media and in select stores, with the roll-out of BCC products also supported across OOH, paid media, PR and influencer collaborations.
Charlotte Di Cello, chief commercial officer at Waitrose, said: “We’re proud to be the only UK grocer to offer BCC welfare standards as a minimum across all our Waitrose branded chicken products – including fresh, frozen and ingredient chicken. 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.
“We’re not stopping there. 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. And with a little help from Alex Horne and The Horne Section, we hope the nation will be checking their chicken and singing about better animal welfare too.”
