NEW Co-op pack shot

From today, Co-op British breaded and ready to eat chicken will join its fresh range under the retailer’s Space to Thrive brand, which is chicken reared with reduced stocking density (30kg/m2), giving the birds 20% more space.

This makes it the first UK convenience retailer to extend its improved chicken welfare standard across its British breaded and ready to eat range enabling Co-op members and customers to access chicken reared in 20% more space to perch and roam, at the same value.

The 21 lines, which include Co-op’s British Breaded Chicken Goujons, British Garlic Kiev, British Roast Chicken Drumstick and British Sliced Chicken Breast, have now all been rebranded. The move follows the fresh chicken range moving to Co-op’s Space to Thrive brand in February this year, following a multi-million-pound investment.

Sinead Bell, Co-op’s commercial director, said: “Responsible sourcing matters to us, our members and customers and we’re proud to support British farmers by sourcing 100% of our fresh meat and shell eggs from trusted farms from across Britain.

“We take animal welfare seriously and listen to our member owners, which is why we took action earlier this year and continued to significantly invest in our poultry supply chain to offer shoppers high quality products at the same value. Today’s announcement underlines our unwavering commitment to this, and we are proud to be amongst the few retailers to extend the new lower stocking density to beyond fresh chicken.”