Welcome to Meadow
Meadow Foods Limited
Rough Hill
Marlston-cum-Lache
Chester
Cheshire
CH4 9JS
If you have any queries, you may contact us at our Registered Office, by telephone on 01244 680071 or email us via our contact page.
This report summarises our Gender Pay Gap which is the difference in average earnings between men and women across all roles, calculated at April 2023. This is different to the statutory requirement for Equal Pay which legislates that the same rate of pay must be given to men and women where the work they do is similar or of the same value.
Across the Meadow Foods sites our mean gender pay gap is 4% and our median pay gap is 1%. We are encouraged that this is lower than the current national median pay gap. However, we understand that the promotion of diversity and a culture of gender equality across our business is an ongoing process.
Meadow Foods upholds Equal Opportunities and Equal Pay policies, which set out our values as an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all employees, and a working environment in which all individuals are able to make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit. We are also committed to introducing and maintaining pay systems, which are transparent, based on objective criteria and free from sex bias.
Gender Pay Gap: Download PDF
This UK tax strategy applies to UK resident corporations in the consolidated insurance group of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (“Fairfax Financial”) as well as to any UK branches of non‐UK corporations in the Fairfax Financial consolidated insurance group (together, “Fairfax UK businesses”). References to “Fairfax” shall be read as references to the Fairfax Financial consolidated insurance group.
Fairfax regards this document as complying with the requirements of Schedule 19 to the Finance Act 2016 (UK) to publish a UK tax strategy.
Fairfax, including the Fairfax UK businesses, operates primarily in the insurance industry and is therefore subject to stringent regulatory rules and requirements in many jurisdictions around the world. In addition to complying with regulatory requirements, Fairfax Financial
has formal Guiding Principles which have been in effect for over 35 years, and Fairfax is subject to a Business Code of Conduct and Ethics. Fairfax’s UK tax strategy stems from one of the Guiding Principles, which is that “honesty and integrity are essential in all our relationships and will never be compromised.”
The tax affairs of Fairfax’s UK businesses are managed in a way which takes into account their corporate reputation as well as the best interests of Fairfax UK businesses and various stakeholders, including shareholders and employees. Set out below is Fairfax’s UK tax strategy as it relates to UK tax risk management and governance, UK tax planning, and relationships with UK tax authorities.
Fairfax’s UK tax strategy is the overall responsibility of Fairfax Financial’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who reports on material tax matters to Fairfax Financial’s Board of Directors at regularly scheduled Board meetings. The UK tax strategy applies consistently to all Fairfax UK businesses. Day to day management of tax affairs and tax risks of Fairfax UK businesses, and primary responsibility for delivering the UK tax strategy, sit with the CFO of each Fairfax UK
business. The CFOs rely on the expertise of one or more of an internal tax team of a Fairfax UK business, the global Fairfax tax team and external advisors.
An important component of Fairfax’s UK tax strategy is risk management. Enterprise risk management architecture that is a requirement of Solvency II insurance regulations is fully embedded in the Fairfax UK businesses. In addition, where applicable, Fairfax UK businesses maintain internal control frameworks which comply both with Sarbanes‐Oxley requirements and with the UK’s Senior Accounting Officer legislation which requires businesses to establish
and maintain appropriate tax accounting arrangements. The control frameworks include measures intended to identify, assess and manage tax risks and to ensure compliance with tax reporting obligations. Compliance with these control frameworks is reviewed at regular intervals by management of the Fairfax UK businesses and/or by their internal audit teams.The Fairfax UK businesses also have procedures designed to prevent persons associated with the Fairfax UK businesses from committing tax evasion facilitation offences as defined in the Criminal Finances Act 2017.
Fairfax UK businesses are committed to fully complying at all times with their tax payment and reporting obligations, including country‐by‐country reporting requirements.
The CFO of each Fairfax UK business seeks to ensure that the tax implications of all material commercial transactions are considered by one or more of an internal Fairfax UK tax team, the Fairfax global tax team and external advisors.
Fairfax UK businesses seek to be efficient in their tax affairs and may consider planning to make use of available tax reliefs, allowances and other benefits, but only in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Fairfax UK businesses do not engage in artificial or abusive tax avoidance transactions. Fairfax UK businesses seek to avoid uncertainty and unexpected results in their tax positions.
In any instances where tax laws are unclear or their application is uncertain, Fairfax UK businesses will, with support from external advisors when appropriate, fully analyse and understand any tax risks. Fairfax UK businesses are not prescriptive in terms of the level of acceptable tax risk in respect of any particular matter as each matter is assessed based on its specific facts and circumstances.
Fairfax UK businesses are committed to maintaining a transparent and cooperative relationship with HMRC (the UK tax authority). When appropriate, representatives of Fairfax UK businesses meet with the HMRC Customer Compliance Manager in order to maintain real
time engagement regarding business developments and risks. Fairfax UK businesses are committed to ensuring that they are responsive to requests for information by HMRC and that the information they provide is accurate and complete. Where appropriate, Fairfax UK
businesses will seek advance tax rulings from HMRC prior to undertaking certain transactions.
To read about our farm sustainability policies click here
We are committed to our corporate social responsibilities at local, national and international level. We internally review our supply chains to assess both human trafficking and slavery risks. We have a sound document management system that ensures all steps of the supplier approval process are followed.
We recognise and understand the complexities associated with the existence of modern slavery and its potential impact on global supply chain networks and we are committed to working with our Suppliers, Customers, Regulatory Authorities and other parties and organisations to support the development of long-term solutions to this issue. We are fully committed to ensuring that we purchase only from legitimate companies that meet all appropriate legislation and are not in any way engaged or associated with modern slavery or human trafficking.
We internally review our supply chain to evaluate modern slavery and human trafficking risks, and we review all aspects of the supply chain including: safety; human trafficking; child labour and other legal requirements. We are members of Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) and are regularly audited by third parties.
Following a review of our current policies, we believe that our present arrangements offer sufficient protection to all workers. In addition to policies that protect all workers from mistreatment, we have a robust and effective Whistleblowing Policy which we are confident provides a mechanism for any employees who may wish to raise modern slavery/human trafficking as an issue. Our policies and procedures are continually reviewed to ensure we remain compliant with all current legislation.
Modern Slavery Statement: Download PDF
Employers Liability Certificate: Download PDF
Terms and Conditions of purchase, inc. services and transport: Download PDF
Terms and Conditions of Sale: Download PDF