A Cracking Commitment: WSH partners with RSPCA Assured

Author: Joanna Flood
Date: February 13, 2024
Category: News

RSPCA-Assured eggs

In an industry-first partnership, our parent company, WSH, has joined forces with the RSPCA, on a mission to making sure that every egg we purchase is RSPCA Assured free-range.

Setting out to achieve the target WSH hit 92%, the equivalent to 18,400,000 ‘Assured RSPCA’ eggs last year and are continuing to push to achieve 100% by the Summer, supported by RSPCA Assured.

Our teams in Scotland are leading the charge with an impressive 99.2% of their eggs certified.

As part of our ESG commitments, we launched a ‘Supplier Code of Conduct’ with 11 ambitious targets to raise the bar on sourcing standards and transparency across our supply chain.

Currently 92% of eggs purchased across WSH’s nine brands, including our sister companies, Benugo and Searcys, are certified ‘Assured RSPCA’. The remaining 7% are still free-range welfare standard and 1% barn.

Choosing RSPCA Assured free-range eggs means supporting farms that provide hens with enrichment objects and comfortable environments, with outdoor access during the day and spacious barns at night.

Talking about the positive impact on sustainability and animal welfare standards, Tara Henry, Head of Procurement said: “Partnering with RSPCA Assured is just the first step of a five-year plan of continuous improvement. We pride ourselves on serving high quality, sustainably sourced products to our customers and this target gives them and our clients transparency and measurable goals that we are taking positive action”.

Cliona Duffy, Head of Partnerships at RSPCA Assured, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with WSH, working together to improve farmed animal welfare. WSH’s supply chain is complex, with many business areas and individual locations having purchasing autonomy, to be able to implement across their whole supply chain, shows WSH’s commitment to animal welfare. WSH are leading the way, showing that it’s possible to implement sourcing commitments, without compromising the freedom of each business”.

And there’s more to come! WSH are also working with RSPCA Assured on procuring 100% RSPCA Assured liquid milk directly contracted with UK dairy farmers who have Net Zero targets in place, by 2025.