Cranswick has launched an independent review into its welfare standards following revelations of pigs being mistreated at one of its farms in Lincolnshire.
An undercover investigation by the Animal Justice Project found evidence of what the organisation described as “a systemic cycle of abuses” on the Red Tractor-assured Northmoor Farm including workers beating and kicking pigs, and hitting them with spades.
Cranswick is one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of pork and chicken to supermarkets and foodservice businesses. Last week, it completed the acquisition of Blakeman’s, a leading supplier of sausages to the foodservice sector, for £32m.
Cranswick CEO Adam Crouch announced the review at the same time as revealing a significant increase in revenue and profit for the company. Revenue increased 6.8% to £2.7bn and pre-tax profit grew 14.6% to £181.6m for the 52 weeks ended March 29th 2025.
In his annual review, Crouch wrote: “We know that our customers and consumers care deeply about the welfare of animals involved in food production – it is a priority we share. 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. We will provide a further update on this work in due course.”
In its financial statement, Cranswick also expressed concern about its lack of ability to invest in growing UK pig and poultry production (a sector that has persistently been associated with pollution of rivers and the local environment). “One of the most significant barriers to unlocking the business’ full potential is the complexity and inefficiency of the current planning system,” wrote chairman Tim Smith.
Smith, who sits on the UK Government’s food strategy advisory board, added: “Excessive bureaucracy conflicted with our objective to enhance UK food security and significantly delayed important projects such as the redevelopment and expansion of the Methwold and Feltwell farms in Norfolk, and the construction of a second poultry facility at Eye in Suffolk.”
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council recently rejected a planning application by Cranswick for a major new pig production facility in the county, partly on environmental grounds. The campaign group Foodrise EU (formerly Feedback Global) heralded it as “a landmark decision that could shape the future of industrial farming in Britain and bolster councils and rural communities in their fight against harmful environmental practices in their areas”.
Cranswick also noted in its statement how the poultry industry transition to lower stocking densities in line with the ‘Better chicken commitment’, while welcome, had meant 20% more space is required to grow the same number of birds, putting pressure on the industry.
