Tesco Audit – Grade 5
Highest grade. Retained for the second consecutive year, across a supply programme of over 360 million apples and pears annually. Tesco’s own procurement standards are among the most demanding in UK grocery. Their Grade 5 is not a certificate – it’s their team independently validating how this site performs.
BRCGS Audit – AA+
Highest grade. Retained year-on-year. And unannounced – meaning no fixed date, no preparation window. Auditors arrived and assessed the site exactly as it operates on any normal working day.
These grades don’t sit in isolation. Cottage Farms currently operates at a 99.98% on-time delivery service level. The audits confirm the standards are right. That number confirms they translate into delivery.
Auditors were extremely complimentary about the standard of the site and how the audits required little senior leadership involvement, as the shop floor team owned the process and could demonstrate extremely well what they do and why they do it. This reflects an operational team that holds itself to these standards every day, not just when it counts.
These results don’t happen by accident. Quality runs across everything we do and our attention to detail is second to none. We treat every customer’s product as if it were our own – optimising quality at every step and ensuring it’s handled on a site with the highest standards of food safety and hygiene. We encourage everyone to take pride in their work to make this business a long-term success. These grades are what that looks like in practice.
Huge congratulations and thanks to all the team at Cottage Farms, these results are yours.
What buyers can take from this
- A site that protects your brand through strong hygiene controls, traceability and documented processes
- Audit readiness on a normal working day, proven by AA+ under an unannounced assessment
- Consistency that scales, with procedures embedded across the team, not reliant on a few individuals
If you’re evaluating your current packing or ripening partner, or looking to move supply, we’d welcome the conversation. Arrange a site visit or discuss a supply programme with Chris Browning, Owner and Director.