Waitrose is set to make history as the first UK supermarket to cease selling mackerel, effective April 29. The supermarket chain, with branches in Solihull and Birmingham among others, has announced the decision in response to growing sustainability concerns.
The retailer will stop sourcing fresh, chilled, and frozen mackerel from the specified date, encouraging customers to choose more sustainable fish alternatives. Remaining tinned mackerel stock will remain available until sold out.
Jake Pickering, Head of Agriculture, Aquaculture & Fisheries at Waitrose, commented, “By suspending sourcing of mackerel at Waitrose, we reinforce our commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices. This move aims to combat overfishing and protect the long-term health of our oceans and this vital fish species.
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“Our customers trust us to source responsibly, and we are closely monitoring the fishery. We look forward to reintroducing mackerel once it meets our stringent sustainability standards.”
This announcement coincides with news that Ocado, the retail technology company based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, plans to cut 1,000 jobs—about 5% of its global workforce—as part of a cost-saving restructuring programme worth £150 million. Approximately two-thirds of the job losses will be in the UK, primarily in technology and support roles.
Ocado CEO Tim Steiner highlighted that advances in AI are driving significant productivity improvements, enabling the company to “get more done with fewer people.” He also acknowledged that the market for large automated distribution centres in the US is smaller than initially anticipated.