UK grocer Waitrose has launched a new charter that sets out its policy towards developing working relationships with potential suppliers – committing it to constructive advice even to people who may wish to go elsewhere.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The Waitrose Small Producers Charter sets out the Waitrose approach to its supply chain for the particular benefit of small scale and regional producers.


MD Steven Esom explained: “The future of British food depends upon long term, positive contact between supplier and retailer. But if you have never dealt with a supermarket before, you need considerable reassurance that your potential business partner has your own best interests at heart.


“The Waitrose Small Producers Charter demonstrates that you can get trust, commitment and support from a supermarket. If you don’t like what you see you can walk away.”


Esom added: “We want to work with more small, local and regional producers. Even if their food and drink is being produced on a small scale, we can still help. They don’t need to supply all our Waitrose branches, and they don’t need to grow their business any larger than they want.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

“The integrity of the product is key.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact