Cumbria Farmer Awards – a great night for The Lakes team. The Lakes Free Range Egg Company had a great night at the Cumbria Farmer Awards, with Supply Chain Manager Ben Thompson-Bloxham nominated for Agricultural Apprentice/Rural Skills Award and ‘The Lakes’ as a company, shortlisted for the Best Supplier Award, going on to win it.
Apprentice skills recognised
When nominations were announced for the Apprentice of the Year, we were really proud to hear Ben’s success read out on stage. And whilst he was runner-up to a Cumbrian YouTube star called Sam Hutchinson (AKA The Swaley Man); we are delighted to see his achievements recognised.
Helen Brass, Company Secretary at The Lakes said “There is a shortage of skilled people in our industry, so we try to encourage growth and promotion from within. From the day Ben joined us as a temporary office worker, he has always done his best and was eager to learn. It is a testament to his drive and enthusiasm, that he was still able to complete his apprenticeship whilst juggling a very demanding role in an acutely busy period during the pandemic. You can not underestimate how hard it was to keep egg orders flowing and making sure the right packaging was available for the right retailers at the right time.”
Commenting on being shortlisted and attending the awards ceremony, Ben said, “It’s the first time I’ve been to something like this, and it was a fantastic night. When you are busy in your day job, and looking for the next challenge, you don’t often take time to reflect on what you have achieved already or how far you have come. Chatting to others about what I do, helped made me realise just what I have achieved so far. I was thrilled to be nominated in such a strong category and was also pleased to be there to see The Lakes collect the Supplier of the Year Award.”
The Lakes supply chain recognised
The Lakes Free Range Egg Company won the award for Supplier of the Year. David and Helen Brass started The Lakes Free Range Egg Company 25 years ago, with just 200 hens. Today the company supplies eggs to customers like Sainsbury’s, McDonald’s, Tesco, and Booths as well as local independents like Cranston’s. They have achieved this by working closely with a network of local farmers and suppliers and now pack over 1.5million eggs on a daily basis.
Commenting on the win David and Helen said, “Whilst they put our name to the award, it is very much a team effort and could not be done without the support we get from our rearing team, our farmer producers, our farm staff, lorry drivers, packing team, the operations, and agricultural teams and those working to support our customers.
‘The award is especially important at this time, not only because we are celebrating our 25th anniversary, but more importantly, it is recognition at a time when our industry is under such huge pressure. With that in mind, we are delighted to have received the award on behalf of everyone who supports us in the business.”
Sponsor of the Supplier of the Year Award was Davidson & Robertson (D&R), a firm of rural surveyors and consultants. Having chance to chat with the Lakes team at the awards, D&R Director Chris Edmunds got a more detailed insight into the company. He said “As sponsor, we were delighted to present The Lakes Free Range Egg Company with the Supplier of the Year Award. On the night we had the opportunity to chat with David & Helen Brass, and we came away understanding just how embedded they are with their supply chain – right through the line, from rearing top-quality chicks for their farms and their producers, to collecting, packing, and processing eggs for retailers and restaurants and supporting them with sustainability, environmental provenance, and agricultural knowledge.
“What really impressed us with The Lakes Free Range Egg Company is their commitment and the attention to detail that runs right through the whole business – in particular being able to monitor on a daily basis, the welfare and performance of the hens and developing systems that make it easier for producers to do the same.
“We chatted to Helen Brass about how they are developing their apprenticeships – their Supply Chain Manager Ben Thompson-Bloxham followed this route and was a finalist in the apprentice/rural skills category. The depth of learning and experience he has gained has obviously been successful for both Ben and for The Lakes’ – well done to them.”
