This will bring the proportion of higher welfare chicken Tesco sells up to around 30 per cent of total chicken sales, an increase of 70 per cent compared to this time last year.

The move follows the campaign by a number of celebrity chefs in the UK calling for more high welfare poultry products to be available.

Tesco is also cutting the price of standard whole birds from £3.30 to £1.99 to ensure shoppers on a budget also benefit. This lower price will mean families can sit down to roast chicken and all the trimmings for less than £1.00 per person.

The supermarket recently announced it has seen an overall price reduction of almost 30 per cent in real terms since 1997. This means Tesco has saved the typical household £4,954 on their shopping bills since 1997.

Tesco Media Director Jonathan Church said: "We have been working hard for a while to increase the amount of higher welfare chicken we sell and the recent debate over chickens in the media has helped raise awareness of the choice available to customers.

"But our investment in premium chicken should not be seen as a move away from providing more affordable options for those on a budget. With 85 per cent of UK shoppers putting chicken in their shopping basket every week, millions of people rely on Tesco to provide good quality chicken at low prices.

"No-one should feel guilty for buying a chicken just because it is good value. The only reduction we make is in the price - not the welfare.

"Consumers have had a tough start to the year with mortgage worries, energy price rises and inflation creeping into some areas of household spending. We are determined to help by keeping the cost of the family shop down.

"By investing in growing our premium ranges and cutting the price of standard chicken we are making it easier for customers, whatever their circumstances, to buy great value and fantastic quality chicken, safe in the knowledge that it would have been raised in the highest welfare environment."