UK supermarket Tesco has revealed that its fresh chicken is now grown with 20% more space than the industry standard.

The retailer will provide additional financial support to suppliers and farmers of around £50 million a year to help implement the enhancements in welfare and associated costs.

All Tesco fresh British chicken is now grown with birds that have 20% more space than the industry standard. This allows them additional room to “express their natural behaviours”, said Tesco.

The enhancements represent a step-up in welfare standards across the industry and build on Tesco’s existing higher welfare brands, such as Finest, Slower Grown, and Organic, which already include more space for birds to roam around. The move will also ensure birds continue to have increased access to environmental enrichment such as straw bales, perches, pecking objects and natural light.

“This commitment not only supports British agriculture but also significantly enhances welfare standards across the UK’s poultry industry.”

Claire Lorains, group quality and sustainability director at Tesco, said: “We are committed to continuously improving animal welfare and standards, while maintaining great value and quality for customers. We’ve worked closely with our British farmers to ensure all our core fresh chicken meets higher welfare standards, providing 20% more space than the industry norm.

“This commitment not only supports British agriculture but also significantly enhances welfare standards across the UK’s poultry industry. Customers can buy high-quality chicken, while still enjoying the same great value.”

Ben, a longstanding Tesco chicken farmer, said: “We’re a family run business that’s been supplying Tesco with chicken for more than 25 years. The recent change to reduce the stocking density of our chicken, providing them with more space, has made a big difference to the welfare of our chickens and the working environment of our dedicated farm team. 

“When you buy our chicken from Tesco, you’re supporting farms that treat their animals with respect and care. The extra space allows our chickens to be themselves, which means they’re healthier and our poultry is of the highest quality – all while supporting British farms like ours.”