Food Sourcing Policy

Animal Welfare

Harrods recognises the “Five Domains Model” as a means of identifying and grading the different forms of welfare. “The Five Domains Model”, which is recognised by the RSPCA, encourages the management of animals to promote positive experiences and mental states, while minimising negative experiences to ensure that animals have ‘lives worth living’. It has been designed to facilitate assessment of animal welfare in a systematic, structured, and comprehensive manner.

This is not a definition of animal welfare, nor is it intended to be an accurate representation of body structure and function. The purpose of each of the five domains is to draw attention to areas that are relevant to both animal welfare assessment and management.

The Five Domains

These are the minimum principles of which animal welfare and wellbeing should be based upon. These are split into the five physical or functional domains that are concerned with biological function, physical and mental wellbeing.


Nutrition
To ensure every animal is given access to enough food and water to maintain a varied and balanced diet, in the correct quantities.

Environment
To allow every animal access to space, free movement and fresh air, and preventing any environmental stressors.

Physical Health
To prevent every animal from disease, injury, or functional impairment. In turn, this will lead to appropriate body condition and good fitness levels.

Behaviour
Allowing every animal access to express their natural behaviours through environmental enrichment and free movement, and to ensure animals are well rested.

Mental State
This considers the animals state or psychological wellbeing. This affective state represents the animals overall subjective feelings and experience, either positive or negative.

Sourcing meat and poultry of high welfare standards is in line with the Product pillar of Harrods Sustainability road map and Ethical Responsibility. We also support the Sustainable Development Goals, with reference to goal 15 Life on Land, which is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 


This welfare policy is of upmost importance to Harrods, to demonstrate our responsibility towards animal welfare and ensuring our finished products deliver exceptional and unrivalled quality for our customers. We are responsible for ensuring our farmed animals have the happiest possible lives, as well as being able to express natural behaviours which is imperative for an animal’s mental wellbeing. In turn, this leads to improved eating quality and taste profile across our range of meat and poultry. 


There is evidence to suggest that animals that are bred under these conditions and processed under high welfare standards yield good quality meat that is tender and flavoursome. This is in line with Harrods Food Principles of selling iconic products that are of the best quality, globally sourced and curated with artistry.

To demonstrate our responsibility and commitment to animal welfare throughout the “Five Domains Model”, Harrods have agreed to uphold the following statements:

  1. As a minimum, all our suppliers and farmers must adhere to current EU and domestic legislative requirements, or their own national farm assurance models.

  2. The use of routine antibiotics or growth promoting hormones are not permitted at any point during the animal’s life.

  3. Tail docking, teeth clipping, or the application of nose rings to prevent tail biting is not permitted across all our pig farms.

  4. Nose rings are not recommended across any of our cattle farms.

  5. Sow stalls, farrowing crates, or any slatted floors are not permitted across any of our pig farms.

  6. Hot blade beak trimming or toe trimming is not permitted across our any of our poultry farms, however we do permit infra-red beak trimming on day old chicks in the hatchery.

  7. Electric goads are not recommended to help move cattle across any of our farms or abattoirs.


  1. Our beef cows are to be kept outside free to range during the spring and summer months with grassland for grazing. This allows opportunities for social interaction and the creation of strong social bonds. During the winter months, the cows are to be moved into open barns for shelter and warmth. The farmers are required to ensure the cattle have regular access to straw bedding and are fed on a natural forage-based diet. Our beef farms should be assured to Red Tractor standards as a minimum requirement.

  2. Our milk fed veal should be kept in purpose-built barns as a minimum requirement, with no individual pens. The cattle must be kept together in their social groups and remain in these groups throughout their lifetime. The cows must have constant access to water, environmental enrichment and have access to daylight, to allow them to express natural behaviours.

  3. Our pork is a minimum of outdoor reared and we only permit traditional, slow growing breeds. This allows the animal to naturally gain weight due to a diet which has been tailored with a nutritionist, to prevent any strains on the skeletal systems. They should be born in huts and live in fields in their social groups.

  4. Our lamb must be a minimum of free-range and our farms must be a minimum of Red Tractor assured.

  5. Our chicken, turkey, geese, and guinea fowl must be a minimum of free-range and spend at least 50% of their lifetime outdoors, free to range on grass pastures, which enables them to express their natural behaviours. We only permit slow growing farming methods. All our chicken farms must have a minimum of Red Tractor assurance.

  6. Our poussins are barn-reared with a minimum stocking density of 30kg/m². These are processed at a minimum of 28 days old, therefore are unable to get free-range status as the birds have not reached full maturity to be reared as free-range.

  7. Our laying hens must be a minimum of free-range. They must have access to roam freely on grass pastures, spending a minimum of 50% of their lifetime outdoors. There must be a varied amount of range enrichment such as straw bales to peck and places to perch, allowing the birds to express their natural behaviours such as scratching, dustbathing, and exercising for better leg and heart health.

  8. Our laying quails must be raised in purpose-built straw barns and are free to fly.

  9. Our rabbit must be kept in ‘parc housing’ as a minimum requirement and free-range.


  1. We clearly communicate our expectations and product specifications with our suppliers.

  2. We verify the implementation of our animal welfare policy by undertaking regular visits to our farms and abattoirs on a risk-assessed frequency.

  3. We conduct traceability audits to ensure authenticity is not compromised and product claims are upheld. These are conducted annually as a minimum, but every six months to verify product claims.

  4. Where our farms and abattoirs have third party certification through an accredited scheme, we request that suppliers provide documentary evidence confirming certification and we retain copies of the relevant documentation.

  5. We are transparent with our customers on our policy so that they know where their meat has come from and that the animal has had a good life.

  6. We will continue to work with industry bodies and our farmers to improve the life of our farmed and wild animals.

  7. We will evaluate and review this policy on an annual basis to ensure it is being implemented effectively, to ensure it continues to reflect good animal welfare practices and is in line with industry standards.


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