Influence of Greggs Food Retail on British Diet
An Ethical Evaluation
Introduction
Greggs food retail is the largest provider of baked goods in the UK. It was founded as a Tyneside bakery
in 1939 by John Gregg and has since expanded to 1600 outlets. It deals in local products as well as
freshly baked savories such as sausage rolls and Cornish pasties. With a turnover approaching £800
million and 20,000 employees on its books, the bakery chain is considered as one of the North East’s
biggest success stories. (Robert Gibson)
Ethics of the Food Industry
An extensive array of ethical issues faces the food industry today. For example the treatment of food
industry employees which has hit a down low in the past few years as evident from protests all over the
world. Also, issues regarding distribution of food and the growing problem of world hunger. However in
1992 these issues were sidelined as a new danger in the form of food safety and labeling emerged.
Contemporary issues such as the ‘horse meat scandal’ and a surge in ethical thinking of people have
questioned the mass acceptance of industry power over food chains. (Ethical Issues)
Ethics of the food industry can be divided into a few major categories
1. Ethical foods
2. Ethics of treatment of employees
3. Ethics of relationship with buyers and suppliers
Ethical Foods
“Ethical consumption’ is not a clearly defined set of practices but is rather a convenient catch all phrase
for a range of tendencies within contemporary consumer culture” Lewis& Potter (2011: 4).
Ethical commodities are increasingly visible in the contemporary marketplace; fair-trade, green foods,
organic products, locally sourced, free-range and ethical loans. In the turn of the millennium the United
Kingdom has seen a rise in sales of ethical products from £2.7 billion to £6.5 Billion in the year 2011
alone. The Co-operative (2011: 3). According to the ‘ethical consumer report’ the public is much more
aware of ethical food products today; the following statistics show the trends of ethical behaviors
in2011:
1. 46% of people recommended a product on a company’s responsible reputation.
2. 55% actually chose a product based on responsible reputation.
3. 46% bought primarily for ethical reasons.
4. 34% felt guilty about unethical purchasesThis research indicates the increasing desire of consumers to obtain ethical food.