John Ross Jr (JRJ) operates at the highest level of quality and sustainability standards, and has been awarded the Grade AA Global Standard for Food Safety – one of the industry's highest accolades - from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) for 11 consecutive years.

Using only Grade A fish sourced locally, JRJ ensures that only sustainably farmed salmon is used throughout its smoking process and across its entire range of products – both organic and non-organic.

JRJ has also achieved RSPCA and Global Gap status for producing its products using the most sustainable methods. Other industry-wide accreditations achieved include ASC/MSC, which demonstrates its pledge to sustainably produced food products.

Following an internal review, conducted by JRJ's director and Master Smoker, it was concluded that the business observes the highest standards from a sourcing and production perspective. However, a companywide benchmark has been established for increasing JRJ's sustainability credentials outside of the materials and processes employed.

The following action plan outlines the key targets following the review.

Environmental

JRJ does all that it can to minimise its carbon footprint, which includes the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of packaging, fuel consumption and recycling. In each case, it seeks to choose the route that reduces negative impact on the environment. This includes working with its suppliers and distributors to ensure consistency.

For example, we source smoking chips that originate from untreated, natural hardwood from sustainable forestry and that are free from genetically modified materials, volatile organic compounds and pesticides. Likewise, we ensure that the salt we use throughout the smoking process is sourced from a supplier that has based its environmental management system on the ISO14001:2015 framework.

Electricity usage

JRJ aims to reduce carbon emissions associated with wasted electricity by 5 per cent throughout the business.

Importantly, the very core of our smoking process, which is based around traditional kiln smoking in traditional brick kilns, does not use any electricity. Compared to the vast majority of smoked salmon producers that use electricity-powered kilns, this represents a significant saving of carbon emissions.

Other initiatives, such as the implementation of sensor lighting throughout the factory, are also eliminating electricity wastage.

Packaging

JRJ has committed to recycling all materials where possible and seeks to use sustainable packaging whenever the option is available and commercially sustainable.

JRJ has been reusing the boxes (polyboxes) used to transport goods to and from the smokehouse, thus avoiding materials being sent to landfill. Its envelope recycling programme has also seen a sharp decrease in wasted paper, with office administration staff all being briefed to carefully open each envelope and reuse wherever possible. JRJ estimates that this has led to a decrease in stationery-related paper wastage by 30 per cent.

JRJ has also switched its packaging from being PVC based to APET – which is 100% recyclable.

Futhermore, we've invested in reusable crates for our European customers, which ensure that the crates are reused many hundreds of times. In Germany, we even fund the recycling of all JRJ's outer case packaging.

Finally, the business's mail order division has switched to cardboard boxes in order to make it easier for the end-user to recycle.

Target

Carbon footprint

Given the nature of the business and the carbon emissions generated throughout the distribution process, fuel consumption and substantial lorry miles cannot be entirely removed from the supply chain.

JRJ has taken steps to minimise the efficiency of deliveries within the UK and aims to continue working with its distribution companies to ensure that transport is both environmentally and cost efficient. This has been and will continue to be achieved through consolidating its logistics operation throughout the UK and abroad, wherever possible.

Social

The welfare of our staff, suppliers and customers is paramount to the success and longevity of JRJ. We have a commitment to the communities we serve and a responsibility to identify the needs of individuals and their well being.

Our health and safety procedures and adopted systems are exemplary, as is our commitment to responsible purchasing, supporting the communities in which we work and supporting the charities that are important to us.

We are open to adopt processes that have a positive impact upon JRJ and its stakeholders. This is reviewed on a regular basis and changes are made accordingly.

Relations with suppliers, partners and contractors

In addition to the standard credit checks that all businesses undertake, we also investigate our suppliers supply chains as far as we possibly can. Establishing the source of their products or livestock is always indicative of whether or not they are genuinely committed to sustainability. We take pride in how and where we source our salmon and expect our suppliers to have the same approach and enthusiasm when it comes to their products or livestock.

We are finding that sustainability is now second in line to profitability, particularly within the food industry, so many of our suppliers are proud to demonstrate a responsible approach to sustainability.

In JRJ's case, we display the RSPCA and Global Gap accreditations and we ask that all our suppliers evidence similar schemes wherever possible. We also conduct research into companies CSR statements wherever they are available in order to understand their priorities.

Declaration

Through our Grade AA certification, which requires that we meet high standards and use products of a certain grade, we have proven that our suppliers share JRJ's values. For example, we only use Grade A salmon which has originated from the cool, clear waters of Northwest Scotland where stocking densities are low and where the fish are given the freedom to develop at a natural rate prior to being smoked.

In keeping with the point raised previously, JRJ insists on working honourably, respectfully and honestly with all of its partners. As such, all suppliers are paid on time, in full respect of their cash flow and ongoing business and financial commitments.

John Ross Jr is a responsible producer that focuses on operating ethically, honestly and with our customers at the heart of everything we do; values that originate from being a family owned and managed business.

We continually strive for best practice and believe that we achieve sustainable status in its truest sense, covering the three main areas, economic, environmental, and social.

Christopher Leigh, CEO and Sustainability Manager
John Ross Jr (Aberdeen) Ltd