A prestigious turkey farm that supplies birds destined for the shelves of Harrods has been suspended from a key food assurance scheme following the release of undercover footage by animal rights activists.
Shocking Footage Reveals Welfare Failures
The secret recording, captured by the Green Britain Foundation at Hockenhull Turkeys in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, shows clear breaches of animal welfare and biosecurity standards. Staff members were filmed throwing live turkeys, while one worker was caught urinating directly into a pen containing the birds.
The footage also revealed that workers were not following basic biosecurity protocols. This included moving between different sheds without changing their boots or using required foot dips, raising serious concerns about disease control.
High-End Supply Chain Under Scrutiny
Hockenhull Turkeys specialises in breeding birds and rearing them from chicks before sending the young poults to other farms. These farms use traditional methods to raise and slaughter the turkeys, a process said to produce higher quality 'farmfresh' meat that commands premium prices.
The company supplies these birds to high-end stores and butchers for the Christmas period. One of the farms it supplies subsequently provides turkeys to the luxury department store Harrods, where they can be sold for up to £170 each.
Investigations Launched and Certifications Suspended
In response to the footage, the farm and food assurance body Red Tractor has suspended Hockenhull Turkeys' certification pending an independent investigation. A Red Tractor spokesperson stated they take breaches of their standards "extremely seriously."
The government's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which monitors farm animal welfare, has also opened an investigation.
A spokesperson for Hockenhull Turkeys told the BBC they were "appalled" by the footage, admitting it "does not represent the standards of animal husbandry and biosecurity" the company expects. They conceded: "High biosecurity and animal welfare standards are of the utmost importance to us and it is clear here that we have failed to live up to that promise."
Harrods and Industry Response
Harrods confirmed that while it does not have a direct relationship with Hockenhull Turkeys, its supplier does use their breed of bird. A spokesperson for the store said it is now "urgently investigating" whether there was a breach in the strict standards set by the Traditional Farmfresh Turkey Association (TFTA), which its farm supplier adheres to.
Dale Vince, a trustee of the Green Britain Foundation and former Just Stop Oil donor, called on Harrods to suspend supplies from Hockenhull and launch its own independent probe. Vince, who also owns Forest Green Rovers FC, stated: "Anything less is not really living up to their reputation."