Upmarket UK retailer Waitrose & Partners has added free-range cream SKUs to its private-label offering.
The initiative is part of its efforts to implement higher animal welfare standards in food production.
The new cream range includes single, double, whipping and extra thick variants across Waitrose Essentials and Waitrose own brand.
Rachel Aldridge, dairy buyer for Waitrose, said, “Having successfully launched free-range milk a couple of years ago we knew that we could, and should, challenge ourselves to expand the offering to free-range cream. We’re proud to be the first supermarket to make it happen and hope others will follow suit.”
Free Range Cream
The milk is sourced from free-range dairy cows, which means cattle that spend at least 183 days a year grazing outside.
Farmers that supply milk to the retailer give their cows the freedom to throughout spring and summer to graze outside or stay in.
Estimates show that 5% of dairy herds in the UK continue to be kept in housed systems all year round.
Jake Pickering, Waitrose senior agriculture manager, said, “At Waitrose, we’re consistently challenging ourselves and pushing the boundaries of animal welfare across our ranges.
“By working with our dairy farmers and suppliers to introduce free-range cream it means that we can provide customers with the best products along with continued higher animal welfare standards.”
Recently, the retailer announced plans to invest £1 billion (€1.17 billion) in new and existing shops over the next three years.
The chain, part of the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, said it would open up to 100 convenience stores across the UK over the next five years.
