With a rich history in livestock farming, the transition into free range egg production was straightforward. Animal welfare and range enrichment are still core to what we do.
Tree planting is something we have undertaken since we first began free-range production, receiving support from bodies including FWAG, RSPB, the Forestry Commission and Friends of the Lake District. It has enabled us to plant over 164,000 trees and repair miles of stone walls.
We have an excellent network of producers. Other fruitful relationships have been developed with like-minded customers, organisations and universities, looking at ways we can improve sustainable production.
Animal Research – supporting research conducted by the Food Animal Initiative (FAI) and McDonald’s UK, has shown that planting more trees encourages hens to roam more freely outdoors which in turn reduces the amount of feather pecking in the flock. You can find out more on our Animal Welfare page
Farm Forward programme – Launched by McDonald’s in 2012 Farm Forward is built around core commitments that include animal welfare standards, environmental and efficiency standards and knowledge sharing. We are committed to supporting this programme and are proud to be a McDonald’s ‘Flagship Farm’ and a global case study for their ‘Best of Sustainable Supply’ initiative.
Chick Rearing – groundbreaking research and development has led us to build a dark brooding rearing system that uses 85% less energy than standard rearing facilities – find out more on our chick rearing page. Always looking for innovation for our industry, we are working on further developments, which include:
Our Farms – we use our Eden flocks for research, testing new feed, rations and management
Poultry Breed research – working with DEFRA/Government and NGO’s on breeds and beak trimming
McDonald’s – continued research on animal welfare in conjunction with FAI Food Animal Initiative
AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS
Royal approval:
In 2018, we were honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category. It is the very pinnacle of recognition, and we were delighted to be the first in the egg industry to achieve this accolade. In 2025, we were honoured again, receiving The King’s Award for Sustainable Development for the work we have done since 2018.
2024 awards and commendations include:
- The Farmer Weekly Awards: Environmental Champion of the Year
- Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE): Farm of the Future Award
- British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA): Environmental Sustainability Award
- British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA): Breakthrough of the Year Award
Have a look at our full list of awards here