Mark Price, Managing Director
Scotland is an important country in the food atlas and a source of some of the best regional and local produce available. From meat, vegetables and fruit reared and grown to the highest standards to seemingly endless varieties of malt whisky, Scottish farmers and food producers can offer it all.
Waitrose has a long and proud association with many Scottish suppliers and we are delighted to have two branches in Edinburgh with a third, in Glasgow, scheduled to open in October. Given the warm welcome we have received from the Scottish Government, suppliers and consumers and the success of our existing shops, we continue to look for new sites to give even more Scottish customers access to a Waitrose branch.
It is therefore my pleasure to offer our support not only to the Scottish Government's National Food and Drink Policy but also to the Scottish Retailers' Charter.
Waitrose is a different kind of business, owned by its employees and without the pressures often exerted by outside shareholders. This allows us to take the long-term view in everything we do. On a day-to-day basis this means we treat our suppliers as partners in long-term relationships. It is our stated aim to conduct all our business relationships with integrity and courtesy and to honour scrupulously every business agreement.
We also deal honestly with our customers at all times, aiming to secure their loyalty and trust by providing outstanding value, choice and service and we aim to contribute the wider wellbeing of the communities where we trade.
Given these clear aims we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver the ambitions of its Food and Drink Policy and fully endorse its commitments to encouraging more local and regional sourcing, high animal welfare and environmental standards. We believe the work you are doing in Scotland echoes our own approach to responsible retailing.