Marston's PLC

Marston's has a publicly available policy on their website, which is part of their Food Supplier Charter. Food Supplier Charter available here.

The company has updated their policy to include "pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs in their raw state and where used as ingredients in composite dishes such as desserts, meal centres and sauces". It therefore now covers all relevant species sourced.

Marston's Food Supplier Charter includes a specific section on antibiotics use detailing the company's standards. The charter forms the trading terms between the company and all its current and potential suppliers including manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, traders or agents. It applies to both finished products and the ingredients within.

Marston's states that "antibiotics are only used when prescribed by a vet to prevent discomfort or treat illness, or when a vet prescribes them for metaphylactic use and no growth promoters are allowed in any medicine or animal feed. All animal medicines must be authorized for use, used appropriately and records kept for 5 years". FAIRR has previously confirmed with the company that the policy ensures that prophylactic use is not permitted, and that their policy is focused only on medically important antibiotics.

The company does not yet have any specific targets or timelines in place for implementation, however this is under development. In their response to FAIRR, the company indicated that over the next 12 months they will be working to understand their supply base in order to develop supplier-specific policies that include relevant targets, timelines and progress reports. As part of their Food Supplier Charter, suppliers must be able to demonstrate that antibiotic reduction targets are in place and where possible provide historical tracking information.

The company does not currently disclose antibiotics usage. As a progress update, Marston's has said that a supplier questionnaire did not identify any of their suppliers using antibiotics prophylactically, but it did highlight a general lack of understanding on antibiotics. The company has indicated that suppliers are expected to track use where possible, and that work is currently underway to further understand their supply base and work alongside their suppliers to report on progress.

Lloyd's Register is their independent audit provider (previously known as Acoura). Audits are carried out every 12-18 months for high risk, every 2-3 years for medium risk and if required low risk suppliers are audited every 3-5 years. Marston's has confirmed that all high-risk suppliers across all relevant location are third-party audited. Risk level is assessed not only on the type of product supplied but also on volume and importance to the business. The audits monitor supplier compliance to the company's Food Supplier Charter which includes antibiotics use.

Marston's responded to the investor letter providing clear insightful answers to all questions. The company has spoken with FAIRR but has not met with the investor coalition. Their response is available here.