Latest news with #AdamCouch
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Cranswick launches review after Lincolnshire pig farm abuse claim
The UK's largest pork supplier has launched an independent review into its animal welfare policies and livestock operations after claims staff were abusing piglets at a farm run by the based in Hessle in East Yorkshire, suspended using Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire after covert footage, filmed by Animal Justice Project (AJP), appeared to show workers holding piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as "piglet thumping".Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco suspended using the farm after the footage emerged last said it would not sell on any pigs that were based at the farm. In a statement, chief executive Adam Couch said the business was reviewing the welfare of its operations."We take seriously any instance, anywhere in our supply chain, where behaviour fails to meet those standards," he said."We are therefore instigating a new, fully independent, expert veterinarian review of all our existing animal welfare policies, together with a comprehensive review of our livestock operations across the UK."We will provide a further update on this work in due course."According to AJP, other footage appeared to show the botched killing of a sow that left the animal screaming. Another sow was also apparently shown being beaten with metal the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulation, using blunt trauma to kill pigs is illegal in founder, Claire Palmer, called for an "independent public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory failures". Announcement of the independent review came as Cranswick revealed revenues had grown by 6.8% to £2.72bn for the year to March, compared with the previous year, due to demand for its luxury products and record Christmas firm said fresh pork export revenues lifted by more than 10% after it benefited from the reinstatement of a contract with the company also revealed that pre-tax profits grew by 14.6% to £181.6m for the year. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK meat group Cranswick snaps up sausage supplier Blakemans
Cranswick, one of the UK's largest meat groups, has struck a deal to buy foodservice sausage supplier Blakemans for £32m ($42.8m). London-listed Cranswick, a producer of pork, poultry and convenience meat products for major UK grocers, revealed the purchase in its annual results statement today (20 May). Cranswick said Blakemans operates out of a factory in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and employs around 290 people at the site. 'The acquisition is complementary to our existing added-value gourmet business, adding capacity in raw and cooked sausage production,' Cranswick said in the results commentary. CEO Adam Couch described family-owned Blakemans as 'a well‐invested, leading foodservice sausage manufacturer'. He added: 'Acquisitions are a core element of our growth strategy, allowing us to consolidate further our core business, expand newer growth categories or diversify into new sectors and markets.' JSR Genetics was also recently acquired, a pig genetics and commercial breeding business. Further afield, Cranswick bought pork and poultry processor Froch Foods last year and struck a deal in pet-food in 2022 for Grove Pet Foods. In 2021, Ramona's Kitchen – a producer of houmous, falafels and dips – and Atlantica UK – a supplier of private-label Spanish tortillas – were added to the Cranswick portfolio. In light of recent animal abuses revealed at a Cranswick pork plant, which prompted the company to suspend operations at the site in question, the business is launching an independent review of its welfare standards. Footage was filmed by the Animal Justice Project earlier in May reportedly showing workers slaughtering piglets in an inhuman way, known as 'piglet thumping', along with other alleged abuses. Cranswick told the BBC at the time that it had suspended workers at the Northmoor Farm near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, and would launch an investigation. In today's results statement, Cranswick explained: 'We have always placed the highest importance on animal health and wellbeing and continuously aim to have the most stringent standards in the sector. We take seriously any instance, anywhere in our supply chain, where behaviour fails to meet those standards. 'We are therefore instigating a new, fully independent, expert veterinarian review of all our existing animal-welfare policies, together with a comprehensive review of our livestock operations across the UK.' For the year to 29 March, Cranswick reported revenue of £2.72bn, an increase of 6.8% and 6.4% on a like-for-like basis. Adjusted operating profit rose 11.8% to £206.9m, with the margin reaching 7.6% from 7.1% a year earlier. Elsewhere, adjusted operating profit before tax climbed 14.3% to 197.9m to deliver and adjusted EPS print of 273.4 pence, up 15.6% from the corresponding period. Cranswick chairman Tim Smith described the operating environment during the year as 'challenging', along with 'wider macroeconomic' pressures. Smith called on the UK government to do more to support the local food industry. 'We believe that government should provide a clear and coherent framework to facilitate long-term investment and sustained growth across the industry. 'As a leading UK food producer, we are aligned with others across the sector in our ambition to operate in an environment underpinned by certainty and success. Translating this ambition into action requires a regulatory environment that supports long-term sustainable investment. 'A more streamlined and responsive planning framework is, therefore, essential to unlocking capital investment, supporting job creation, and growing regional economies.' Cranswick's fresh pork business segment grew revenue by 4% in the year through March to account for 24.2% of the group total. Poultry revenue increased 20.3% and represented 19.6% of the total. In convenience – meals, charcuterie, antipasti and houmous – Cranswick grew revenue by 0.5% to account for 36.2% of the group. Gourmet products, such as meat pies, sausage and bacon, saw revenue increase 8.8% to make up 18.7% for the Cranswick group. "UK meat group Cranswick snaps up sausage supplier Blakemans" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Cranswick launches independent review after pig farm abuse claims
Meat giant Cranswick has launched an independent review into its animal welfare policies and livestock operations after abuse claims at a pig farm run by the business. It came as the company revealed record sales and profits for the past year. The UK's largest pork supplier suspended using Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire after covert footage emerged last week appearing to workers at the site abusing piglets. Workers were filmed appearing to hold piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as 'piglet thumping'. Retailers including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco suspended Northmoor Farm as a supplier as a result. Cranswick has said it will not sell on any pigs which were based at the farm. Chief executive Adam Couch said in a statement that the business is now reviewing the welfare of its operations. 'We take seriously any instance, anywhere in our supply chain, where behaviour fails to meet those standards,' he said. 'We are therefore instigating a new, fully independent, expert veterinarian review of all our existing animal welfare policies, together with a comprehensive review of our livestock operations across the UK. 'We will provide a further update on this work in due course.' The fresh review came as Cranswick revealed sales and profits jumped over the past year. The East Yorkshire-based firm revealed revenues grew by 6.8% to £2.72 billion for the year to March, compared with the previous year. Cranswick said volumes were stronger on the back of positive demand for its luxury products and record Christmas trading. It added that fresh pork export revenues lifted by more than 10% after it benefited from the reinstatement of a contract with China. Meanwhile, the company also revealed that pre-tax profits grew by 14.6% to £181.6 million for the year.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cranswick launches independent review after pig farm abuse claims
Meat giant Cranswick has launched an independent review into its animal welfare policies and livestock operations after abuse claims at a pig farm run by the business. It came as the company revealed record sales and profits for the past year. The UK's largest pork supplier suspended using Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire after covert footage emerged last week appearing to workers at the site abusing piglets. Workers were filmed appearing to hold piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as 'piglet thumping'. Retailers including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco suspended Northmoor Farm as a supplier as a result. Cranswick has said it will not sell on any pigs which were based at the farm. Chief executive Adam Couch said in a statement that the business is now reviewing the welfare of its operations. 'We take seriously any instance, anywhere in our supply chain, where behaviour fails to meet those standards,' he said. 'We are therefore instigating a new, fully independent, expert veterinarian review of all our existing animal welfare policies, together with a comprehensive review of our livestock operations across the UK. 'We will provide a further update on this work in due course.' The fresh review came as Cranswick revealed sales and profits jumped over the past year. The East Yorkshire-based firm revealed revenues grew by 6.8% to £2.72 billion for the year to March, compared with the previous year. Cranswick said volumes were stronger on the back of positive demand for its luxury products and record Christmas trading. It added that fresh pork export revenues lifted by more than 10% after it benefited from the reinstatement of a contract with China. Meanwhile, the company also revealed that pre-tax profits grew by 14.6% to £181.6 million for the year. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fears of British chicken shortages as farmers warn of supply crunch
Supermarkets are facing a shortage of British chicken after farming bosses said planning red tape was curtailing their ability to rear more birds. Poultry producers are demanding the Government speed up a planning overhaul to allow farmers to build bigger poultry sheds and produce more chickens to stave off a supply crisis. Without such a move, grocers could be forced to source more chicken from overseas as supplies from UK farms start to drop. Cranswick, one of Britain's largest meat producers, said shoppers would '100pc' see more chicken on sale that was imported from overseas because of the sheds planning hold-up. Adam Couch, the Cranswick chief executive, said 'There is white shelf space now because chicken is in huge short supply and farmers can't expand any more because we can't get planning permission,' he said. 'On poultry, the UK is around 65pc to 70pc self-sufficient and that's reducing at the moment.' The warning comes as Donald Trump presses Sir Keir Starmer to allow chlorinated US chickens to be sold in Britain. As part of his tariff offensive, the US president has claimed that restrictions on chlorine-washed poultry, which are banned in the UK, are based on 'non-science-based standards' and has called for them to be removed. The current UK shortages are understood to have followed a change across major supermarkets to adopt higher welfare standards. Over the past 18 months, supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrisons have lowered their bird stocking densities so that chickens are given more space in sheds. It means chicken producers need to open more sites to keep up production levels. Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, pledged earlier this year to loosen planning regulations, allowing farmers to build larger chicken sheds. However, supermarket bosses and farming chiefs are understood to be pressing ministers to deliver the pledge more quickly as without it Britain will face a chicken supply crunch. Already, Asda has started sourcing chicken reared in Germany after two decades of selling 100pc British chicken. It said this was a temporary measure taken on its Essentials range. However, as recently as this month, producers have been thwarted in attempts to get projects approved. In Norfolk, Cranswick's scheme for a 'mega-farm' to rear 700,000 chickens was this month blocked by local officials. Councillors unanimously rejected the plans for the farm, siding with critics who raised issues including its odour, animal welfare, pollution, flood risk, health and traffic. Prior to the decision, Cranswick had written to MPs raising concerns over the risk to the UK's food security. In the briefing note, it said escalating trade tensions meant 'now is the time Britain needs to produce more food at home'. However Mr Couch said the warning had fallen on deaf ears in Westminster. He said claims that ministers were ripping up red tape to boost investment were 'all well and good, but the action on the ground isn't following through'. 'It's a real food security issue that we have here,' he said. James Mottershead, of the National Farmers' Union, said it was important that the UK is able to keep up with the demand for welfare driven, environmentally friendly and nutritious proteins. He said: 'At a time when shoppers are understandably nervous about increased imports of chicken which have been produced in ways which would be illegal here, and when the Government has repeatedly stated that food security is national security, it's vital that the planning system enables poultry producers to maintain a strong supply of home grown chicken.' A government spokesman said: 'Food security is national security, and for too long existing planning rules have got in the way of increasing food production. 'That's why we will consult on national planning reforms to make it quicker for farmers to build infrastructure they need to boost their food production.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
