Speciality Food March 2026

@specialityfood 42 TRACKLEMENTS “We have only used renewable energy for a decade” A s one of the fewB Corp accredited food manufacturers in the UK, Tracklements, makers of best-tasting, best-quality condiments, take a holistic approach to sustainability –making good food, whilst doing things the ‘right way’. Manufacturing businesses are typically associated with having a higher social and environmental impact and Tracklements have been actively tackling this perception head-on for over 50 years, working to an ethos of ‘puttingmore back in than they take out’, all so that retailers can sell, and shoppers can eat, Tracklements with a righteous glow. “From the big things like sourcing ingredients from farmers and growers in Britianwhere possible and achieving zero waste to landfill, through to the daily habits like getting milk delivered in glass bottles so they can be recycled, we are on a journey to being better every day,” says Liz Cuff, marketing director. Tracklements source best-quality, happily wonky, ingredients from the UKwhere possible, to reduce food transport and support British farmers, growers and suppliers, whether it’s 40,000kg of fresh horseradish from East Anglia or 170,000L of Cider Vinegar fromAspall in Suffolk. “We extend their high sourcing standards through tomaterials too,” she continues. “For example, we get our glass jars (made from30% recycled glass) froma British glass manufacturer to avoid transporting empty glass around the world.” As pioneers in the ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) space, when building their purpose-built HQ inWiltshire back in 2008, Tracklements happily bucked the trend by installing windows throughout the factory – despite the advice of building industry experts, keen to stick to the ‘norm’ of food factory standards – to ensure Tracklementeers had daylight throughout the factory whilst working, creating better working environment, simply because it was the right thing to do. “At HQ, Tracklements have used only renewable electricity for the last decade, part derived from 10,000 square feet of solar panels T rue sustainability extends beyond environmental protection to address social issues such as fair wages, safe working conditions, gender equality, and community development. It must empower farmers with stable incomes, support democratic cooperatives, and enable producers to invest in their communities and futures through improved education, healthcare, and local infrastructure. Fairtrade offers a practical framework that puts those social dimensions of sustainability into action. It takes the principles of fair wages, safe conditions, gender equality, community investment, and turns them into enforceable standards within global supply chains. Fairtrade also has an important role to play in advocating with businesses and government for changes to the trading system to make it fairer so that the lives of farmers and workers are improved. Fairtrade is currently campaigning for the UK Government to introduce a single responsible business law ANNA MANN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS AT FAIRTRADE FOUNDATION The value of Fairtrade in today’s marketplace that will ensure that human rights are respected and the environment is protected. Mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) would require companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and take responsibility for human rights abuses such as unfair pay and environmental harmwithin their operations. We believe this legislation would not only be good for farmers and workers, it will also bring benefits for consumers and for businesses. A single law would simplify the regulatory framework for UK companies and keeps the UK competitive and avoids trade barriers. Effective HREDD requires companies to move beyond minimum wage compliance and address the gap between minimumwages and living wages. A core area of HREDD is evaluating how a company’s own purchasing practices (e.g., low prices, last-minute changes) contribute to poor wages and overtime at the supplier level. Companies are expected to engage with suppliers to ensure fair wages, social security, and formal contracts, as seen in Fairtrade Standards. Poverty and inequality are the main causes of many risks in global supply chains, that’s why it’s important that there is a collaboration between suppliers, buyers, governments and civil society. In order that farmers can invest in strong due diligence measures, they need to be able to achieve better prices, longer lasting business relationships, and co-investment among all supply chain actors. Independent fine food retailers can get involved by sourcing Fairtrade products, learning about Fairtrade standards, asking suppliers to source Fairtrade products and staying informed through Fairtrade Foundation resources. They can educate customers with clear in‑store information, staff training, and small events that highlight Fairtrade products. They can also use our online resources and publicly back campaigns like HREDD, use social media to raise awareness, and expand their Fairtrade product range to show real commitment to ethical trade. We urge any company, big or small, to reach out to us and start a conversation. “A t Fieldfare, sustainability has always been about helping shoppers make smarter choices with their food,” says Matt Whelan, MD. Frozen is naturally aligned with the needs of the environmentally conscious shopper (numbers of which are increasing), because it gives households more time to enjoy what they buy, without it going to waste. “Nearly five decades on since Fieldfare began, our loose frozenmodel continues to empower shoppers to take exactly what they need, whether that is a single portion, meal makers for a smaller household meal or enough for a bigger family, making it easier to plan, store and enjoy food fully.” Food waste remains one of the biggest environmental challenges. In the UK, half of all food wasted each year is residential [Numan]. “I firmly believe that in the food industry we have a responsibility to help address that and support our consumers to live more sustainably,” says Matt. “Scoop‑your‑own is a format that works well in frozen, allowing retailers to manage stock more efficiently in store and of course giving the consumer incredible flexibility, which they love, while reducing potential food waste they might have incurred when shopping in other categories.” Like most producers Fieldfare are on a journey to do more. “While most of our range is packaging free, we are committed to further reducing unnecessary packaging,” says Matt. “Currently 92% of our range is sold loose and we only launch new products in an unpackaged format. “In 2026 I would love to see more fine food and speciality retailers consider how loose frozen ticks so many boxes for their consumer, while making a tangible difference to their environmental impact. FIELDFARE “Our model empowers shoppers” (with a 150kWcapacity), and with the exciting development of extra warehousing space at HQ, we will soon be incorporatingmore solar panels to generate a further 210kW of green electricity, and adding an additional 10 electric car charging points taking their total up to 14 and facilitating electric car usage for their 70 employees.” Tracklements’ commitment to sustainability is always at the forefront as the business continues to grow fromstrength to strength. “O ur mission at Fen Farm Dairy is to nourish land, animals and people, so running a sustainable farmand business is core to that,” begins Jonny Crickmore, owner of Fen Farm Dairy. “Green farming isn’t easy, but we work tirelessly tomake positive, incremental changes in our every day operations – to give backmore than we consume.” The past fewyears have seen some sizeable changes on the farm. Solar panels on the cows’ winter barns, creating a cowpoo-powered heat exchange system, and introducing a biomass strawburner – all of which provide valuable resources for the farm – are helping the team to achieve their goal. Anew silage bunker and reservoir have been established in the past 12 months. In terms of our day to day farming practices, says Jonny, “we truly believe that dairy andmeat production and consumption can be good for the planet – and is actually a part of the solution when done right. Here at Fen Farm, we put backwhat we take – andwe respect and nurture our ecosystem.” One example is trying to growall of the necessarywinter feed on their own land, immediately surrounding the farm. This is amixture of herbal ley, grass andwhole crop silage. “That way, we can be self-sufficient and have full control over the quality of our cows’ winter feed – plus we drastically reduce the need to import feed fromacross the globe,” Jonny explains. The herbal leys and grasses grown for winter feed can occupy a field for several years in a row, greatly reducing the need for ploughing and soil disturbance. This allows healthy root structures andmycorrhizal communities to become established, contributing to improved soil health, reduced runoff and greater carbon storage potential. At Fieldfare, sustainability has always been about helping shoppersmake smarter choices with their food. Nearly five decades on, our frozen model continues to empower shoppers FOOD PRODUCTION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AROUND 26% OF GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND USES 70% OF GLOBAL FRESHWATER WITHDRAWALS OUR WORLD IN DATA FEN FARM DAIRY “We respect and nurture our ecosystem”