How Burger King UK is building a data-led approach to supplier risk and making it stick across the business
Burger King UK operates one of the UK’s most recognisable quick service restaurant chains, with a supply base spanning approximately 70–80 direct suppliers across food, packaging, and logistics categories.
The challenge
As customer expectations around responsible sourcing continued to rise, and as the regulatory environment around human rights due diligence became increasingly defined, Burger King UK saw an opportunity to take its existing supplier oversight to the next level.
The goal was to move from a solid foundation to a more structured, data-led approach: one that could scale consistently across a direct supply base of around 70–80 suppliers, enable more targeted engagement, and give teams across the business a shared framework to work from.
A practical early question was also one of mapping: understanding which suppliers were already active on shared platforms, and where effort should be focused first. Getting that picture clearly was the starting point for everything that followed.
The solution
Burger King UK selected Sedex to create a consistent, data-led foundation for supply chain due diligence. This brought together the SAQ, SMETA audits, and Sedex’s combined risk scoring into a single, joined-up approach.
A practical early step was using Sedex’s supplier matching service to identify which suppliers were already active on the platform. Around one-third were already on Sedex, which meant existing audit data and SAQ responses could be used immediately. This accelerated the process and allowed the team to focus new effort where it was genuinely needed.
From there, the team used Sedex tools to build and deepen visibility across the supply base: SAQs to establish an initial picture of supplier practices, SMETA audits to validate and assess working conditions on the ground, and combined risk scores to move beyond high-level assumptions to site-level insight.
“We use the Sedex combined risk score to understand risk across our supply chain… it doesn’t just consider country and industry risks, but also site-level characteristics such as management systems and audit performance. This helps us to prioritise engagement where it is most needed and develop targeted supplier action plans.”
Rita Luk, Responsible Business Assistant, Burger King UK
Internally, the consistency of Sedex data helped establish a shared language around risk. This made it easier for procurement, sourcing, and responsible business teams to align on priorities and act from the same picture.
“It creates a consistent internal language around risk and supports decision-making across teams.”
Rita Luk, Responsible Business Assistant, Burger King UK
The impact
- 70–80 direct suppliers now managed within a single risk framework
- ~35% of suppliers already on Sedex, accelerating onboarding from day one
- Site-level risk visibility beyond country and industry assumptions
The move to a data-led approach has changed how Burger King UK engages with its suppliers. The team has shifted from broad outreach to targeted action plans grounded in actual risk evidence. Higher-risk and higher-spend suppliers are now identified and prioritised systematically, with collaborative remediation built into the process rather than bolted on after the fact.
“We see this as part of a continuous improvement journey. We work closely with our suppliers to remediate any risk findings and strengthen their human rights practices.”
Rita Luk, Responsible Business Assistant, Burger King UK
Beyond the core platform, Burger King UK has also drawn value from Sedex’s wider community. The team has attended in-person events such as Xchange UK, participated in training sessions, and made use of the reporting tools to track and analyse supplier data over time.
“I would highly recommend attending the in-person Community events such as Xchange UK. We found it really valuable.”
Rita Luk, Responsible Business Assistant, Burger King UK
What made this work
Burger King UK points to two foundations that made the difference: starting with a clear baseline of supplier data before attempting to prioritise and using risk insights to focus engagement rather than spreading effort evenly across the supply base. The supplier matching service was a practical early win. It meant the team was not starting from zero and could direct onboarding energy where it would have the most impact.
Equally important was the internal dimension. By establishing a consistent framework for talking about risk, the responsible business team was able to bring procurement and New Product Development colleagues along. This helped make supplier due diligence a shared business priority rather than a function-specific exercise.
Looking ahead
Burger King UK is continuing to expand supplier coverage on the platform, deepen engagement with higher-risk suppliers, and use data insights to drive increasingly targeted action. As human rights due diligence legislation, including the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, raises expectations for food service businesses operating across complex international supply chains, the structured foundation being built now positions Burger King UK to meet those requirements with confidence rather than catch-up.
Building a responsible sourcing programme and want to make it data-led from the start?
Talk to our team to find out how Sedex can help you improve supplier visibility, manage risk, and support consistent decision-making across your business.
