Newbury Waitrose Visit

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Waitrose in Newbury with Nick, Delia, and Sameer. It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss the Partnership’s plans for the store, their support for the local community, career opportunities, and their trailblazing work on animal welfare transparency. It was also a great opportunity to have another out-and-about surgery session in the store.

Refurbishment Plans

Waitrose is planning a significant refurbishment of the Newbury store, and I’m pleased to hear they’re committed to investing in our town.

Supporting Our Community

Through its Community Matters scheme, Waitrose Newbury donates up to £7,500 a year to local good causes. The current focus is Foster Care & Children’s Activities, and it was great to hear Delia’s insights on local charities and connections across the sector.

Leading on Animal Welfare

Waitrose’s animal welfare labelling work has been called “trailblazing” by the RSPCA and “truly inspiring” by Compassion in World Farming. All fresh chicken meets the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) welfare standard, and all own-brand chicken – from sandwiches to ready meals, will meet BCC standards by the end of August, well ahead of the 2026 industry deadline.

They’ve even introduced their own labelling scheme to help customers understand welfare standards, something I believe should be mandatory across all retailers.

Broader Issues Raised

We also spoke about a range of issues, including:

• The impact of Business Rates reform on high streets.

• The Build to Rent initiative to create 10,000 homes from under-utilised sites.

• The Building Happier Futures programme to support young people leaving care into employment.

Thanks to the team for showing me around.