Marks and Spencer 2006 Annual Report Download - page 16

14 Marks and Spencer Group plc
We are also continuing to work hard to
improve everyday food. Our ‘Oakham’
chicken and ‘Muirden’ pork – both unique,
naturally reared products – remain popular
with customers. We were the first major
food retailer in Europe to sell tenderstem
broccoli, high in essential vitamins, and we
now have a 40% UK market share. We also
won 360 awards last year for our cheeses.
Responsible food sourcing
Our ‘Look behind the label’ campaign,
launched in January 2006, allowed us to
tell customers how carefully we source
food. It highlighted our work to remove
additives, reduce salt, ban GM-foods and
encourage responsible fish sourcing. There
is more detail on the campaign in our
Corporate Social Responsibility Report online
(www.marksandspencer.com/csrreport2006).
Our ‘Oakham’ chicken was recognised with
an award from Compassion in World Farming
and during the year, we introduced more
naturally grown breeds of turkey and pork.
In March, we announced that we would
switch all the coffee and tea we sell in our
Food Halls to Fairtrade.
Last year, we introduced cardboard
sandwich packs made from well-managed
timber supplies with a biodegradable
cornstarch film window.
Speciality foods
We go to great lengths to source speciality
foods from home and abroad, assisted by
our own team of agronomists, farmers,
chefs, winemakers, animal welfare and
marine specialists.
In spring 2006, we introduced a new range
of 300 speciality products which illustrate
the care we take in sourcing our food. The
range includes Cuxwold pork from Norfolk
and Lincolnshire and Apple and Cider Jelly
from Biddenden, Kent.
During the year, we also set about giving all
our food a distinctive look and will have
re-packaged almost all our lines by the end
of 2006. This work is already noticeable in
our stores, particularly on ‘Food to Go’
items, like sandwiches and drinks, and on
grocery, bakery and delicatessen products
which have attractive, eye-catching designs.
Celebrate
We remain a first choice for customers
looking for high quality, trusted food at
celebration times like Easter and
Valentine’s Day.
We saw strong demand at Christmas for
products like ham and turkey joints and
specially-prepared vegetables, including
glazed parsnips. At Valentine’s, sales of
single long-stem roses increased by 160%,
helped by advertising.
In May 2006, we extended our in-store food
ordering service, increasing our range of
party food and personalised cakes by
around a quarter.
Reaching new customers
Our ‘Simply Food’ stores continue to reach
new customers who like the convenience
offered by locations such as railway stations
and motorway service areas.
From ethically reared animals to
local cheeses, we source the
best speciality food from home
and abroad. These Cuxwold
pork pies are part of our new
‘speciality’ range launched in
spring 2006.
All of our wines are blended
exclusively for us, sourced from
the highest quality vineyards
around the world and we have
fully-qualified wine advisers in
our top stores.
ADDITIVE-FREE
The ‘Marks & Spencer Cook!’
range is designed for the
busy person who doesn’t
always have the time or
expertise to cook great food.
Launched in the autumn, it
provides prepared or fresh
ingredients for dishes like
salmon fillets with soy, honey
and ginger glaze.
All 120 products in the range
are preservative and additive-
free. We have even replaced
the salt we use with one
which is free of an anti-caking
agent. We have also created
a new supply base for the
range to make sure we get
the ingredients right.