Members projects

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company (‘The Lakes’) has around 48,000 free range birds, held over two sites in the UK. The birds supply around 14.5 million eggs annually into the
packing station. David and Helen Brass, the owners, took the decision to contract out a large proportion of the egg production to local farmers, helping local businesses (which were badly affected during the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001) to find an additional ventures to the traditional beef and sheep production. David provides a minimum 14-month contract to all his producers. In return, he insists that his suppliers work to the same high standards of good practice that he has adopted over the years. Advice is provided to local partners on topics from building construction and breeds of birds, to types of disinfectant to use. This bespoke approach
helps new suppliers operate effectively from day one.

50 full-time staff are employed at the packing station, with a starting pay at least 10% above the minimum wage (which is incrased after 2 months based on a continuing scale of increments for further skill development). All packing and farm staff receive training in food hygiene, hen care/handling, animal welfare, rodent control, new regulations affecting egg production, veterinary health planning, nutrition and statutory salmonella testing.

The Lakes requires all producers to register with The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) - an independently audited schm providing assurance that the eggs are produced to the highest standards of food safety. The farms must also be inspected by Freedom Foods welfare scheme. At least once a year, producer farms are provided with benchmark data (including eggs laid, mortality rates, egg size, hens housed, average lay and profitability) demonstrating performance within the group and suggestions for improvements. Finally, David insists that the suppliers’ farms are registered under the DEFRA-funded Entry Level Scheme (ELS) - encouraging farmers to deliver simple yet effective environmental management, with options to choose from such as hedgerow management and low input grassland. In conjunction with this, David employs the services of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), to create biodiversity plans for all his suppliers.

David and Helen’s commitment and vision to welfare-friendly practices has tapped into a market where a more informed consumer has the welfare of the birds in mind whilst buying
eggs. Their business is totally focused on the production and packing of free-range eggs, and it is this commitment that provides the consumer confidence in their product.