ASC-Certified Seafood Now Available in Over 260 Waitrose Counters Across the UK

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) welcomes the roll out of ASC-certified fresh fish counters in over 260 Waitrose counters in the United Kingdom, marking a significant step forward in making responsibly farmed seafood easier for customers to identify and purchase. Waitrose is the first UK retailer to offer ASC-certified responsibly farmed seafood through its fresh fish counters.

The launch further strengthens Waitrose’s longstanding commitment to sourcing seafood responsibly. The new ASC-certified counters feature oysters, sea bass, sea bream, king prawns and tiger prawns, giving customers a wider range of seafood that meets ASC’s strict environmental and social standards.

ASC Market Development Manager UK & Ireland, Lief Hendrikz, said, “We’re delighted to see Waitrose leading the way as the first UK retailer to offer an ASC-certified fresh fish counter, and we congratulate them on this achievement. This milestone demonstrates true leadership in responsible aquaculture and makes it even easier for customers to choose seafood they can trust to have been raised to the highest standards.”

“At Waitrose, we are incredibly proud that our counters are now ASC-certified and our customers have access to even more responsibly farmed fish and seafood. This has only been possible with the work from our dedicated suppliers and, of course, the fish farmers themselves.” says Katie Keay, Senior Aquaculture and Fisheries Manager, Ethics & Sustainability at Waitrose. 

Waitrose, a leading supermarket in the UK, has long been recognised for its focus on welfare standards, fair supply chain partnerships and reducing environmental impact. 

The grocer was the first UK supermarket to commit to ensuring that 100% of its own-brand chicken meets the Better Chicken Commitment or higher, and it has consistently championed responsible seafood sourcing through independent certifications and long-term supplier partnerships.

About Waitrose
Run by over 45,000 passionate Partners, Waitrose has been serving customers for 120 years and offers extraordinary products in our 317 shops and on Waitrose.com. Inspiring food discovery, our expert Partners run almost 800 specialist food service counters in store, where customers can shop a variety of the best quality meat, fresh fish, dry aged beef, sushi, as well as cheese. Our Beer, Wine and Spirits team features the largest number of Masters of Wine of any UK supermarket and we sell nearly 3,000 different wines, beers, ciders, spirits as well as no and low drinks in our shops, on Waitrose.com and Waitrose Cellar. We are committed to selling products which have been responsibly sourced, grown using the very best sustainable farming methods, some of which are grown or trialled on our very own farm, the Leckford Estate.  In 2024, Waitrose was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment to be Grocers and Wine & Spirits Merchant to His Majesty King Charles III.

About the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

ASC drives the world’s leading farmed seafood certification programme, accelerating progress towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility.  

Our vision is a world where aquaculture plays a major role in supplying food and social benefits for humanity whilst minimising negative impacts on the environment.  

The Standard is Changing… for fish, farm, planet and people.   

The ASC Farm Standard addresses all key impacts of seafood farming, setting the standard for the industry globally and providing the highest assurance, integrity and transparency throughout the supply chain. 

Our standards ensure that seafood with the ASC label has been farmed with care. 

Choose ASC for Change.