Poultry farmer Andrew hatches a smart idea

Andrew, a producer of free range and Woodland eggs, has set up a unique honesty shop on his farm for elderly neighbours and other people in the rural community worried about travelling too far to shop due to the coronavirus. He’s stocked a container in his farmyard with artisan and essential foods for them. It’s a shop without staff that depends largely on the honesty of shoppers.

In addition to a ‘cluck and collect’ service for locals wishing to enjoy his award-winning eggs, including his famed double yolk ‘Crown Toppers’, Andrew has used contacts at local food markets to offer an outlet for products not readily available in supermarkets.

“I started a fresh egg delivery along with the cluck and collect service in the early stage of the pandemic,” he says. “I’ve since focused on providing fresh eggs for collection in the small shop I’ve created on the farm because it’s much more cost-efficient.”

The small shop, which has been switched to the container from the farm gate because of the approach of winter, offers customers a range of fresh produce sourced from other local farms including vegetables, fruit and chilled milk along with freshly baked bread, bacon and even pizzas and craft chocolate. There’s a price on products and an ‘honesty box’ for shoppers to leave payment.

“I decided to set up the shop at the end of the lane up to the farm in the spring in response to comments from people calling with us for eggs. Many said they were fearful about going to town to shop and couldn’t be bothered with long queues,” he remembers. “As a result, I set up a makeshift shop at the end of the farm lane and gradually began offering foods from other artisans which had also been badly impacted by the lockdown and the closure of outdoor markets.”

It proved to be popular especially with elderly neighbours and benefited from the trend among shoppers towards locally sourced products. “The shop gave me the opportunity to introduce products I had seen at local markets and not generally on supermarket shelves. The artisans were quick to respond and began delivering products to me. Artisan foods are now rightly recognised as highly nutritious, original and with the important feature of a low carbon footprint,” continues Andrew.

“I’ve found that many older people in particular don’t want to queue up at supermarkets in the current situation and are increasingly keen on locally grown and fresh foods from producers they know and can be purchased without too much travelling.”

Andrew runs the successful poultry farm with wife Rosemary and has an impressive reputation for producing eggs which have won acclaim in major food competitions.

His eggs, for instance, gained Chefs’ Larder Choice in the Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards.

The farm shop helped generate cash flow during the lockdown which adversely impacted his business with clients in restaurants, cafes and bakeries.

“We had been recovering some of this business as these outlets reopened,” he continues. “The essence of our business is to provide fresh eggs and now other foods from our farm with a strong emphasis on local sustainability. We’ve invested extensively in many aspects of egg production.”

The farm, set deep in Co Down’s rolling drumlin country, dates back to the 18th century and has been in Rosemary’s family for three generations. While the farm has business for its eggs in Britain, it is also focusing on developing additional outlets here.

“We enjoy meeting shoppers and telling them about our eggs and farm. There’s clearly a growing interest in where their food comes from and those who produce it,” he continues.

The farm has achieved recognition as a producer of Class A Free Range Eggs, is certified and approved by the RSPCA’s Freedom Food Scheme, which sets strict requirements for the way hens are kept, and also under the British Lion Code.

Membership of the British Free Range Egg Producers’ Association, approval of the Food Standards Agency and Woodland Trust accreditation show the farm’s commitment to the wellbeing of its flock and the environment. The farm is also a Food NI member.

Care for the environment is also seen in the farm’s commitment to renewable energy sources. This approach includes solar panels on the hen houses and extensive recycling of materials. All packaging is carried out on-site as part of a focus on keeping the carbon footprint as low as possible.

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