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Our Grocery businesses share a focus on developing diverse talent, fostering inclusion and supporting safety, health and wellbeing.
A colleague at the Allied Mills flour mill in Manchester, UK
Ensuring the physical safety of employees, contractors and visitors remains a priority for our Grocery businesses. Increasingly, this is supported by initiatives that promote broader health and wellbeing, including mental health.
In 2025, the number of employee on-site Lost Time Injuries (LTI) across our Grocery businesses decreased from 119 injuries in 2024 to 106, resulting in an employee LTI rate of 0.79%. The number of contractor on-site LTIs also decreased from 13 to four in 2025. Grocery businesses remain focused on strengthening initiatives to assess and mitigate risks alongside transparent reporting.
Throughout 2025, businesses across the Grocery Group division continued to refine health and safety systems, with senior leaders focused on improving safety performance. Detailed analysis of all LTIs and first aid cases was carried out to identify and address causal factors. The Grocery Group businesses are strengthening their external health and safety audit programmes to include a behavioural and cultural assessment.
All businesses ran initiatives to improve safety culture, behaviours and ownership. Examples include:
Twinings Ovaltine continued to deliver its Beyond Zero initiative, which uses neuroscience insights to encourage health and safety-conscious behaviours among employees. The programme goes beyond the goal of zero accidents to create a culture of care, collaboration and understanding so that all employees can work safely and effectively while also aiming to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing.
Beyond Zero modules are being rolled out across Twinings Ovaltine sites in Australia, North America, China, India, Poland, Switzerland and the UK. This global initiative is tailored by local teams to reflect regional needs and address potential cultural differences. Over 80% of employees have completed the coaching sessions across key manufacturing sites and the aim is to have this rolled out across all global sites by the end of the next financial year. The business has also promoted the benefits of Safety Learning Opportunities at Work (SLOWs) and, as a result, use of those has increased by 30%. The Ovaltine factory in Thailand received a National Excellence Award in Health and Safety for its initiatives to drive safety standards.
As part of Twinings Ovaltine’s health and wellbeing programme, UK employees have access to a range of support for their physical, mental, financial and medical wellbeing. The on-site ActiviTEA Centre provides a gym, classes, changing facilities, treatment room (with subsidised monthly therapies) and a contemplation space. A confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is available 24/7, offering proactive and reactive mental health support, including short-term counselling if appropriate, and advice on a range of issues including finance and legal matters. The Simply Health cash plan enables employees to claim money back against everyday health costs. Annual flu vaccinations and health checks are also provided. Financial wellbeing is supported through access to guidance on mortgages and pensions, as well as a benefits platform that provides reward points and retail discounts.
2025 was a disappointing year for George Weston Foods in terms of the number of injuries, particularly at Tip Top where its efforts on improving safety were not matched by its safety performance. This performance has resulted in an increased focus on safety.
George Weston Foods continues to work across all five pillars of its occupational health and safety strategy. These include shift mindsets, contain the risk, established processes, develop skill sets, and competencies and system improvements.
George Weston Foods took its specialist health, safety and environment AI tool “Soter AI” from trial to scale across its businesses. This tool has been able to add an additional assurance that documentation has been checked against the latest legislation. It also uses both still and video imaging to get a new perspective on risks both on-site and in the field.
Work was also completed with DSS+, formerly DuPont, which examined the latest safety perception survey completed by nearly 4,000 staff and took a deeper dive conducting ‘mirror walks’ where the business ‘hold up the mirror’ to see in more detail what was happening on safety. This identified that more work was needed to continue to build skills and competencies as well as areas of excellence that can be learnt from.
As part of its safety system digital transformation process, George Weston Foods successfully rolled out new modules in visitor management, contractor management and truck/lorry driver management, which has been well received by all parties as it is easier to use.
Additionally, George Weston Foods continues to work with a consultant who provides focused support on health and safety through initiatives such as the Safety Perception Survey and targeted coaching for employees.
ACH Foods supports employee wellbeing with a comprehensive suite of mental health and substance use resources. Through partnerships with providers such as ComPsych (an EAP provider), Teladoc Health (a global telemedicine leader) and AbleTo (a behavioural health platform), employees and their families have access to free or low-cost counselling, coaching and therapy services, many of which are made available remotely and 24 hours a day to ensure continual access. These benefits are designed to address a broad spectrum of needs, from everyday stress to more serious mental health concerns, reinforcing a workplace culture that genuinely values mental health and employee care. In addition, in 2025, ACH Foods launched a programme to recognise and reward positive behaviours across the workplace.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees | 109 | 106 | 121 | 119 | 106 |
| Employee rate | 0.79% | 0.81% | 0.93% | 0.89% | 0.79% |
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees | 15815 | 15819 | 15788 | 16692 | 15905 |
| Percentage of Women | 34% | 35% | 36% | 36% | 37% |
Our Grocery businesses regularly review and embed practices which build inclusive workplaces and engage colleagues through training, education, celebrations and events.
In 2025, new and enhanced DEI policies were introduced across the Grocery Group. Westmill updated its Family Leave Policy to include improved maternity pay, a shorter qualifying period and added support for fertility treatment and neonatal care. AB World Foods launched maternity leave support groups to help women share experiences and ease their return to work. Policy language across the division was also updated to reflect diverse family structures, and co-parenting leave benefits were strengthened.
All businesses engaged employees from under-represented backgrounds, including racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation and religious groups, through training, discussion toolkits and employee networks. Topics included invisible disabilities, neurodiversity and Black history.
In recent years, Grocery businesses have worked to increase understanding of the menopause and its potential impact at work. For example, Jordans Dorset Ryvita has introduced educational and support workshops open to all employees, creating space for important conversations, personal stories and practical actions. Plans are in place to extend these workshops to our manufacturing teams and work towards Menopause accreditation.
Westmill has expanded its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to cover LGBTQ+, ethnic diversity, disabilities, neurodiversity and women. These groups organise bronze, silver and gold tier celebrations and events throughout the year, including Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, LGBTQ+ Month, Diwali, Ramadan, Chinese New Year and International Women’s and Men’s Days.
AB World Foods uses storytelling to build inclusion through its Smashing Stigma programme, where employees share personal experiences of ADHD, breast cancer, postnatal depression and anxiety.
Twinings Ovaltine’s Belong programme builds awareness, knowledge and understanding to create an environment where all colleagues can succeed. DEI is embedded through policies and practices across the whole employee lifecycle, starting with recruitment and onboarding, through to personal development and career progression.
The global DEI strategy is built around three core pillars:
Each business unit and function tailors its approach to these pillars, aligning with local legislation, cultural context and market needs. Progress is tracked through a Diversity Dashboard, business unit-specific plans and employee engagement surveys. These tools provide insights into employee experience, inform action plans and ensure accountability at both global and local levels, driving meaningful, measurable change across the organisation.
To support this strategy, Twinings Ovaltine has started to invest in Employee Network Groups (ENGs), learning opportunities and open communication. DEI is integrated into global leadership development programmes, including dedicated training on inclusive leadership and psychological safety.
In the UK, three new ENGs that reflect the diverse needs and interests of people are in the process of being launched: Cultural Inclusion, Pride and Neurodiversity. Twinings Ovaltine is also exploring how ENGs can extend across international teams, with the Cultural Inclusion Group acting as a pilot to help shape the global approach.
George Weston Foods has an Inclusion and Diversity Taskforce to continually review and embed practices that support an inclusive and diverse workforce. The Taskforce actively supports and celebrates diversity through year-round networking events, educational initiatives and open communication. In 2025, the division continued educating its leaders and people on unconscious bias and improving recruitment policies.
George Weston Foods businesses including DON, Tip Top and Mauri ANZ have inclusion plans with a focus on cultural learning, creating employment pathways, opportunities to engage Indigenous suppliers and supporting local Indigenous community partners.
ACH fosters an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives are recognised as essential to organisational success, with senior leadership driving this focus. ACH’s Flourishing Together framework underpins its approach to talent development and employee engagement, ensuring people are valued and able to reach their full potential. Through shared experiences, learning and expertise, ACH fosters a culture that supports the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of employees and their families. A recent employee pulse survey showed an 80% approval rating for ACH’s business-wide messaging, which highlights how diverse backgrounds and experiences contribute to stronger business outcomes.
Grocery Group businesses offer development opportunities at all career stages, targeting both personal effectiveness and leadership qualities.
Jordans Dorset Ryvita expanded its leadership development strategy, shifting the focus from high-performing individuals and teams to supporting career development for all. It introduced coaching workshops that combined theory with practical exercises. Although designed for mid to senior leaders, strong interest led to wider participation across all levels of management, with attendees rating its impact 9/10. The programme will now be extended to first line leaders in manufacturing teams.
AB World Foods partnered with a resilience coach during Mental Health Awareness Week. Over 200 employees attended sessions on personal and leadership resilience, with follow-up individual coaching. The training helped normalise open conversations and informed a shift in performance management to include support alongside stretch goals. Westmill continues to focus on people management skills and launched an Effective People Management Programme supported by a line manager toolkit, building on its leadership framework to create three integrated development tools.
Production colleagues at Twinings's manufacturing facility in Swarzędz, Poland
Twinings Ovaltine is embedding a culture of coaching and growth to create an environment where everyone is inspired and can fulfil their potential. LinkedIn Learning is currently being rolled out across the organisation, giving employees access to self-led, personalised learning. In addition, there are a number of targeted development programmes aimed at developing the capabilities of managers and emerging leaders to create a culture of coaching and high performance. The Coaching Academy programme now has 90 alumni who continue to be part of a thriving global coaching community of practice.
Employee engagement is tracked through Engage, an always-on employee listening tool. Twinings Ovaltine achieved an engagement score in the top 25% of the consumer food and beverage industry benchmark. The tool also captures employee sentiment on a range of topics such DEI, health and wellbeing.
George Weston Foods continues to invest in measuring and enhancing employee engagement, with most of its businesses reporting high survey participation and strong engagement levels.
In 2025, the third cohort of the Thrive programme was launched, which is designed to extend leadership reach, increase visibility and build critical future capabilities. Investment also continues in frontline leader training to strengthen leadership capability at all levels, alongside broader initiatives to cultivate leadership talent. A strong emphasis remains on developing change leadership and agility across its businesses.
ACH is committed to helping its people reach their full potential. A culture of growth is actively supported through a range of programmes and initiatives, from a library of online learning resources, to facilitated workshops on key topics. Beyond formal learning, ACH focuses on compelling career experiences to expand the breadth and depth of its organisational talent. This commitment not only enhances individual capabilities but also underpins the business's success in providing trusted brands and products for its diverse consumers across North America.
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