Historic day for Chorley-based international petfood manufacturer

An unforgettable day of celebration, innovation and shared success

GA Pet Food proudly hosted its first-ever GA Family Forum at The Edge in Wigan on Thursday, 5th March 2026, bringing together colleagues from across the entire business for a truly historic occasion.

For the first time in the company’s history, all 630 GA colleagues, representing a diverse range of nationalities and departments, gathered together in one place at the same time. The result was an atmosphere of excitement, pride and unity that lasted throughout the day.

The event was hosted by GA’s very own Peter Wareing, whose charismatic stage presence set the tone for a memorable and inspiring forum that colleagues warmly received.

A key value at GA is transparency with colleagues, and the forum provided the perfect platform to share insights, celebrate achievements and discuss the future of the business.

Colleagues heard from several senior leaders, including:

• Chairman Roger Bracewell, who delivered an inspiring company update and shared GA’s long-term vision and strategy.
• Partner Director James Bracewell, who highlighted GA’s extraordinary sales success and provided an exciting glimpse into future product development.
• Engineering & Procurement Director William Bracewell, who outlined upcoming projects and investments that will continue to drive innovation and elevate GA’s capabilities.
• Sian Lloyd and Donna Minihan from the Warehouse and Continuous Improvement teams, who introduced a new concept called “The GA Way”, presenting the standards and values that define the GA culture in a creative and engaging way.

One of the most anticipated moments of the day was the Live Chat with the Chairman, where colleagues had the opportunity to ask Roger Bracewell questions directly from the audience. Topics ranged from ideas and improvements for the business to lighter, more humorous questions, with several keeping the Chairman very much on his toes.

Alongside the presentations, the forum featured plenty of fun, interactive moments. A highlight was the locker-and-keys game, where colleagues were randomly selected from the audience to open lockers containing fantastic prizes, including £500 towards a city break, a PlayStation 5, a £500 One4all voucher and many more surprises.

Celebrating success is at the heart of GA’s culture, and the forum provided the perfect stage to recognise colleagues’ contributions. In the weeks leading up to the event, every colleague had the chance to vote for awards including Unsung Hero, Inspiring Leader, Best Newcomer and Dream Team, with the winners revealed live on stage.

The celebrations continued with long-service and retirement awards, including a special recognition for a colleague who marked an incredible 50 years with the business.

Reflecting on the day, Roger Bracewell, Chairman of GA Pet Food, said:

“The GA Family Forum has been a wonderful opportunity to give back to our colleagues, celebrating their achievements and bringing everyone together in one place at the same time. GA is a family, and without that family we would not be able to make and deliver the world’s finest pet food. The day has been a huge success, and I look forward to many more forums in the future.”