Waitrose has partnered with BRCGS, the leading global standards developer in the food sector, to embed its Professional learning and development programme throughout its supply chain to ensure help maintain quality assurance and consumer confidence.
BRCGS Professional is a globally recognised programme that develops the skills of those working in the food sector and enhances safety management practices. Waitrose has signed up to be an Ambassador of the programme as part of its commitment to quality and safety. It sets a benchmark for the expectations it places on its suppliers to continue to deliver high quality products and to maintain consumer trust.
Waitrose has had a long-established relationship with BRCGS, as it has recognised the value of requiring its suppliers to be certified to BRCGS global standards as a way of reducing risk and managing supply chain assurance. This partnership builds on that assurance by ensuring that Waitrose works with suppliers that are developing their teams to be dynamic leaders with the core skills and behaviours to deliver service and quality excellence.
BRCGS is an established global standards leader, with a rigorous assurance program that touches every aspect of the supply chain - from food ingredients to packaging, distribution, retail and beyond. It sets the benchmark for best practice manufacturing, helping to provide reassurance that products and services are high quality, legal and safe. BRCGS is recognised across food and non-food categories as the global standard underpinning brand reputation through compliance, at over 30,000 certificated sites in 130 countries.
A Waitrose Spokesperson said, "As a pioneer of high food quality standards, we're pleased to become an ambassador of the BRCGS's programme. Educating suppliers about the importance of food safety and quality is more vital than ever before and in doing so, food retailers will be able to build confidence throughout global supply chains, as well as give consumers greater assurance about the products they are purchasing."
Rob Moss, Head of BRCGS Professional, said: "We are delighted to be working with Waitrose as part of our joint commitment to quality and safety. Waitrose recognises the reassurance that our standards development and certification give them as a brand, and we look forward to providing additional confidence by working with their supply chain. We have over 9000 Professionals enrolled across 118 countries who recognise how their development can provide customer confidence in the products they deliver".
Food sold by Waitrose touches the lives of millions of people, and so it's essential that we do the right thing at every step along the way. We welcome this partnership as one way of helping us to ensure that quality Food is a way of life.
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Notes to Editors
About BRCGS
At BRCGS, we champion the highest quality. Improving trust in supply chains, through rigorous application of our Standards, we deliver products and services with global relevance and industry expertise. BRCGS is the trusted validation that strengthens Brand, Reputation through Compliance. For more information please visit brcgs.com
Media Contact: Julian Quigley - Julian.Ouigley@lgcgroup.com
About the John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners. Started as a radical idea nearly a century ago, the Partnership is the largest employee-owned business in the UI< and amongst the largest in the world, with over 80,000 employees who are all Partners in the business. Waitrose & Partners has
338 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. Waitrose & Partners exports products to more than 50 countries worldwide.