1. Purpose and Scope

Vegetarian Express is committed to operating as a responsible business and a force for good. As a certified B Corp, we recognise that our actions affect a wide range of stakeholders beyond our own workforce. This procedure sets out how any external stakeholder can raise a grievance about our social, environmental, or governance conduct, and how we will respond.

This procedure applies to all external stakeholders, including:

•             Suppliers and service providers

•             Customers

•             Community members

•             Environmental groups or individuals concerned about our environmental impact

•             Any other party affected by our operations or value chain

This procedure is separate from our internal employee grievance procedure, which is available to all colleagues through our standard HR processes.

2. What Constitutes a Grievance

A grievance is a formal concern raised by a stakeholder about Vegetarian Express’s conduct, practices, or impacts. We will accept grievances relating to, but not limited to:

•             Our environmental impact, including carbon emissions, waste, water use, packaging, or supply chain environmental practices

•             Human rights concerns, including labour conditions, fair pay, or modern slavery risks in our operations or supply chain

•             Ethical sourcing and supplier conduct

•             Misleading or inaccurate social or environmental claims in our marketing or communications

•             Unfair treatment of suppliers or community partners

•             Concerns about our governance, transparency, or accountability

•             Any other matter relating to our social, environmental, or governance conduct

We reserve the right not to accept a submission as a formal grievance if it falls outside the above scope, relates to a matter that is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, or is made in bad faith. In all such cases we will explain our decision in writing.

3. How to Raise a Grievance

Grievances can be submitted using one of the following methods:

•             Online form: Available on the Vegetarian Express website at Feedback & Concerns – Vegetarian Express

•             Email: custserv@vegexp.co.uk

•             Post: Vegetarian Express Ltd, Unit 7a, Odhams Trading Estate, St Albans Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7RY – marked ‘Private and Confidential: Stakeholder Grievance’

•             Phone: +44 (0)1923 249714

When submitting a grievance, please include the following information where possible:

•             Your name and contact details (you may request to remain anonymous, though this may limit our ability to investigate or respond)

•             Your relationship to Vegetarian Express (e.g. supplier, customer, community member)

•             A clear description of your concern

•             Any relevant dates, locations, or supporting evidence

•             Your desired outcome, if applicable

If your grievance is unclear we may contact you to ask for clarification before proceeding.

4. Grievance Process and Timelines

Once we receive your grievance we will follow the steps below:

Step 1 — Acknowledgement (within 5 working days)

We will acknowledge receipt of your grievance in writing within 5 working days. We will confirm whether we are accepting it as a formal grievance, and if not, we will explain why.

Step 2 — Investigation (within 30 working days)

A designated member of our team will investigate the grievance. This may involve gathering information internally, speaking to relevant colleagues, contacting suppliers or other third parties, or commissioning external expertise where appropriate. We will keep you informed of progress. If the investigation is likely to take longer than 30 working days we will notify you and explain the reason for the delay.

Step 3 — Resolution and Response (within 30 working days)

We will provide you with a written response setting out: our findings, any action we intend to take, and confirmation of when the matter has been resolved. Where we are unable to resolve the matter to your satisfaction we will explain our position clearly and outline any further options available to you.

Step 4 — Escalation

If you are not satisfied with our response you may request that your grievance is escalated to a more senior member of the Vegetarian Express leadership team. Please make this request in writing within 10 working days of receiving our initial response. We will acknowledge your escalation request within 5 working days and provide a final response within a further 30 working days.

5. Protection from Retaliation

Vegetarian Express is firmly committed to ensuring that no individual or organisation suffers any detriment, disadvantage, or negative consequence as a result of raising a genuine grievance in good faith under this procedure.

Specifically, we commit that:

•             No supplier will face termination, reduced orders, delayed payments, or any other commercial disadvantage as a result of raising a concern in good faith

•             No customer will face changes to their service, pricing, or relationship as a result of raising a concern in good faith

•             No community member or environmental stakeholder will face any form of pressure or disadvantage for raising a concern

•             All grievances will be treated with confidentiality, and personal information will only be shared internally on a strictly need-to-know basis

Any member of the Vegetarian Express team found to have acted in retaliation against a stakeholder for raising a grievance will be subject to disciplinary action.

You may also choose to raise a grievance anonymously. Please be aware that anonymous submissions may limit our ability to fully investigate or respond directly to you, but we will take all such concerns seriously and investigate as far as reasonably practicable.

6. Confidentiality

We will treat all grievances with discretion and confidentiality. Personal information provided will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Information about your grievance will only be shared internally with those who need to know in order to investigate and resolve it.

7. Tracking and Accountability

All grievances received under this procedure are logged in our Grievance Register, which records the date received, the nature of the concern, the stakeholder type, the actions taken, and the outcome. This register is reviewed at least annually by the Vegetarian Express leadership team.

An annual summary of grievances received (including number, type, and outcomes) will be prepared and shared with our senior leadership team. Where appropriate, and without disclosing personal information, we will report publicly on grievances received and our responses as part of our sustainability reporting.

Responsibility for the operation of this procedure sits with Rhiannon Nash, Service Centre Manager.

8. Policy Review

This procedure will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect changes in our business, stakeholder feedback, and best practice guidance. The current version will always be published on our website.