Waitrose is to debut own-brand free-range single, double and whipping cream in a supermarket first.

The upmarket grocer hopes to encourage other retailers to follow suit and adopt higher animal welfare and food production standards.

Waitrose diary buyer Rachel Aldridge said: “Having successfully launched free-range milk a couple of years ago we knew that we could, and should, challenge ourselves to expand the offering to free-range cream. We’re proud to be the first supermarket to make it happen and hope others will follow suit.”

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The free-range cream will cover single, double, whipping and extra thick across Waitrose Essentials and Waitrose own brand.

The supermarket explained that the range is defined as free-range because its dairy cattle will spend at least 183 days a year grazing outside, with the cows given a choice in spring and summer to go outside or stay inside.

The grocery retailer says this is a contrast to other industry practices, claiming that a fifth of UK dairy herds continue to be kept in housed systems all year round.

Waitrose senior agriculture manager Jake Pickering added: “At Waitrose we’re consistently challenging ourselves and pushing the boundaries of animal welfare across our ranges.

“By working with our dairy farmers and suppliers to introduce free range cream it means that we can provide customers with the best products along with continued higher animal welfare standards.”