28th July 2014
After a very successful pilot last year stocking fresh red grouse in two London stores it was hoped that grouse – a wild game bird unique to Britain – would be on the shelves again this season rolled-out to 40 stores, but plans have had to be delayed.
M&S has said it has been working hard over the past few months with estate managers, supported by the RSPB and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to further develop its industry leading responsible sourcing Code of Practice for game suppliers. Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture and Fisheries Sourcing said: “It’s a big job and something that’s going to take time to get right.
But I’m pleased to say we’re making great progress. We already make sure that the estates we source from, which are well-known to us and are across Northern England and the Scottish Borders, protect and enhance natural habitats for a bio-diverse landscape.
All comply with legislation, of course they do. But for us that’s a bare minimum. We insist that they operate to the industry’s Code of Good Shooting Practice and the Defra Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Game Birds (www.defra.gov.uk). But to go one step further, we’ve developed and are implementing our own responsible sourcing code for the industry that is truly transformational.
It needs to provide a high level of protection for habitats in need of conservation and ensure that the estates that comply with the code are recognised as adding value to rural communities.
We know our estates are already doing well in these areas and our suppliers are therefore playing a huge role in developing the code.”
M&S has announced it will be launching its largest ever range of game when the season starts in October. This year’s range will include pheasant, partridge, rabbit and pigeon as well as farmed venison. Last year our sales grew by 33%, so we know how much our customers love the products. With the changes we are making to our range this year, we expect it to be our biggest season yet and hope to double our sales.
Mr Mclean added: “The only disappointment we’ve had is that we haven’t been able to guarantee a responsible source of red grouse in the numbers we need this year. We trialled selling red grouse in two stores last year and wanted a bigger range that is third party accredited this year. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do with the RSPB and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust before that can happen. We’ll carry on this work with passion and hope to have red grouse in our stores again in the future.”
Amanda Anderson Director of the Moorland Association (MA) said that: “Although the news of the delay is hugely disappointing, the MA will work with M&S to ensure the Code will be implemented swiftly and ensure it dovetails with existing protected site regulations under which grouse moors operate, both at national and European levels.
The accreditation process will be an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to the public the positive environmental aspects of moorland management for grouse shooting, and indeed why the sites were designated in the first place. When rolling out a pilot of a new product it is perfectly normal to take the process to the next stage and ensure it meets all the industry standards. This is the first foray into the supermarket sector for our moorland estates and we need to get it right. If that needs another 12 months, then so be it.”
