Innovation drives The Lakes Free Range Egg Company, be that developing new packing facilities, supporting animal welfare research, implementing new energy initiatives, creating training plans for producers or, most recently, developing and building a pioneering new chick-rearing facility.

Working in partnership with organisations like FWAG (now Cumbria Farm Environment Partnership), we have developed excellence in range enrichment, creating an environment that has encouraged our producers’ hens to achieve an industry leading 314 eggs/bird/year. To stay at the forefront, we work with Universities (including Bristol, Glasgow and Newcastle), to develop training programmes for our producers and research new ways to improve production.

Brass Flock of 6 Hens

David Brass teaching

McDonald’s Global Case Study – we are a global case study for ’Best of Sustainable Supply’ initiative, demonstrating how suppliers are a source of innovation and impact in a sustainable production system.

Encouraging the public to gain a greater understanding of free-range production, we participate in McDonald’s Open Farm Days, play host to their ‘Quality Scouts’ and even appear in their TV commercials

As pioneers in agricultural development, we also work with McDonald’s and Food Animal Initiative (FAI) on internationally published animal welfare research and their Farm Forward Programme – find out more in our agriculture section.

In 2014 we received the McDonald’s Outstanding Contribution Award and in 2017 were part of McDonald’s Team of the Year for their Foodsteps Project.

Always looking for innovation for our industry, we are working on further developments which include:

Poultry Breed research – working with DEFRA/Government and NGO’s on breeds and beak trimming

Chick Rearing – R&D with University of Bristol around our new dark brooding facilities

McDonald’s – continued research on animal welfare in conjunction with FAI Food Animal Initiative

Sainsbury’s Concept Farm – various research including work on tree planting with the Woodland Trust

Our Farms – using our Eden flocks for research, testing new feed, rations and management