Internationally recognised for the quality of its seafood, the UK’s restaurant and foodservice industry can be highly influential in the movement towards better crustacean welfare standards. 

Decapod crustaceans – such as crabs, lobsters, prawns and nephrops (langoustines) – have been legally recognised as sentient in the UK since 2022, meaning they are acknowledged as capable of feeling pain and suffering. Despite growing industry focus on crustacean welfare issues, many chefs and foodservice professionals still lack clear guidance on what this means for sourcing, handling and killing practices.  

As legal and consumer expectations are evolving, foodservice businesses may soon need to make significant changes to the way they source crustaceans or handle live crustaceans in their care. 

Some traditional methods of killing crustaceans, like boiling while alive and conscious, are no longer acceptable for sentient animals.  

Crustacean Compassion’s Kinder Kitchens campaign supports hospitality professionals in making humane, informed choices when sourcing and preparing seafood, without compromising on quality or taste.

A Kinder Kitchen ensures that crustaceans have been treated with the highest standards of care and welfare at every stage of the supply chain, from capture or harvest through to the moment they are killed.  

How to run a Kinder Kitchen 

So, what should chefs, restaurants and foodservice businesses do to improve crustacean welfare?  

There are two main pathways to improving crustacean welfare in commercial kitchens – and both can make a meaningful difference.  

• Use only high-welfare methods for sourcing, handling, and humanely killing live crustaceans.
• Alternatively, avoid live supply altogether by choosing frozen or chilled crustacean products from trusted, welfare-conscious suppliers.  

Why run a Kinder Kitchen? 

Retailers, food processors and producers have been making big strides in crustacean welfare in recent years. For chefs, restaurants and caterers, the spotlight is turning your way. Consumers increasingly expect seafood to be sourced and prepared with care. 

The benefits of higher welfare are clear: legal compliance, improved food quality, better customer trust, stronger ethical reputation, and better welfare for the animals. Chefs and restaurants can play a leading role in shifting industry standards by making informed sourcing choices and sharing their commitment to animal welfare. 

To find out more about how to run a Kinder Kitchen, register to join Crustacean Industry Welfare Hub today. It’s free, quick and easy, and you’ll have access to a wealth of information on how you can stay on the right side of the law and your customers’ ethical expectations. 

Members can watch our webinar, Kinder Kitchens: what crustacean welfare means for chefs and restaurants, for a complete overview of how this issue impacts foodservice businesses.