Charlie Bigham's sustainability score: 50/100
Better than 100% of Food & Beverage (meat/dairy)
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Limited independent evidence: only two independent sources cover this company. The score may change as more evidence appears.
Charlie Bigham’s is the brand of Bighams Limited, a UK maker of chilled ready meals. Incorporated in 1996, it has its registered office in London.
More about Charlie Bigham's
It had about 648 staff and revenue of £154.0m in FY2025. 49 of the 53 dishes in its current range contain meat or fish.
Founded 1996Head office London, UKStaff ~648 (FY2025 accounts, group average)Revenue £154.0m (FY2025, group)Website ↗
Charlie Bigham’s reports a full footprint of 101,616 tCO2e for FY24, 83.9% of it raw ingredients, without independent assurance. Its targets are SBTi-validated, including a FLAG target and net zero by FY2040. Its FY25 total includes carbon removals it does not separate out. No outcome statement was found for its 2020 target of carbon neutrality by 2021.
Charlie Bigham's scores 50/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified November 2026.
That places Charlie Bigham's joint 155th of 1,023 companies scored, and 1st of 14 in Food & Beverage (meat/dairy).
What is Charlie Bigham's doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Targets & Commitments and Controversies & Red Flags (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Emissions Trajectory (4/10, 5/10).
Where Charlie Bigham's lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy isShow at least half its energy is renewable, with a transition plan.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling5/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets8/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Charlie Bigham's's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Charlie Bigham's's score based on?
11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
18% of them were published by Charlie Bigham's itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Total tCO2e (S1&S2) 4,163 2,706”
“FY25 includes verified carbon removals.”
“Somerset Council has approved the 3,700-panel array”
“20 acres of wildflower meadows where six species of bee thrive”
“In 2021, Charlie Bigham’s joined the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap”
“Trade effluent consisting of wash down of cooking equipment”
“setting itself the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2021”
“work very carefully with our suppliers to get down on emissions”
“Revenues at the company rose 8.8% to £144.3m in the year to 31 August 2024”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Is this your company? Claim this profile (free)
Use this score in tenders
Send the link, or the one-page score sheet. It links back to this page and every source. Free.
Open the score sheet →Send new evidence, free
Scored low because little is published? Publish what you do and send us the link, free. If it holds up, your score changes, and the change is logged on your page.
How to send evidence →Put your score on your website, free
It shows the current band, sector rank and score, and links to this page, so it changes when the score does.
Track this score
Bidding for a public contract? Check if you need a Carbon Reduction Plan, free →
Want your own page like this?
Free, independent, every source shown. Send it to any buyer who asks about your sustainability.
How does Charlie Bigham's compare with other food & beverage (meat/dairy) companies?
Charlie Bigham's is the highest-scoring food & beverage (meat/dairy) company we've rated.
Among the 14 major food & beverage (meat/dairy) brands we've scored, Charlie Bigham's sits 1st of 14.
Who comes next in Food & Beverage (meat/dairy)?
Charlie Bigham's leads its sector. These are the next 3 down.
Ben & Jerry's publishes detailed annual sustainability reports and rejects carbon offsetting, but emissions intensity is worsening, not improving.
See the breakdown →First Milk's footprint was 1.29 MtCO2e in its year to March 2026, 98% of it from its members' farms, and the figures are independently assured.
See the breakdown →Danone's emissions fell to 18.6 MtCO2e in 2025, 21% below 2020 on its SBTi boundary against a 34.8% cut targeted for 2030. 94% of its electricity is renewable, mostly through certificates, but fossil fuels are still 56% of its energy.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
One email, every Sunday. Score changes, new research, the stories behind the numbers. Free.
We'll send one email to confirm. No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.
Checking a company?
Search free →Asked to prove you're sustainable?
Get your business scored, free →Been scored?
Find your page and claim it, free →Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it.