Harrogate egg producer Chippindale Foods has announced that its Yorkshire branded free range eggs are now fully sourced from bee friendly farms in the region, three years after the Harrogate firm launched its partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
- In 2013 they invested in a new £2.25m purpose-built 55,000sq ft low carbon egg packing facility on the outskirts of Harrogate which produces around 4 million eggs a week
The company has designed new yellow and black striped shelf packaging for the regional brand to help raise awareness of the company’s campaign to support the British bumblebee.
Chippindale launched its Bee Friendly Farm Scheme three years ago in partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
The growth of the project has created more than 16 acres of bee habitat across nine bee friendly free range poultry farms, which now produce enough eggs to supply the entire Yorkshire egg brand.
Chippindale’s Yorkshire free range eggs are currently stocked regionally by Morrisons and Co-operative. The company now plans to expand its Bee Friendly Farm Scheme to supply more of its free range eggs nationally.
Managing director Nick Chippindale said the firm was on target to source 40% of its free range eggs across all its brands from bee friendly farms by the end of 2017.
Nick said:
Growth of the Bee Friendly Farm Scheme is an important part of our sustainability plan and has the added benefit of offering consumers more choice in store.
We work closely with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to set and monitor biodiversity targets for the bee friendly egg project and our involvement in the scheme has added another dimension to our relationship with our egg producers.
The project takes the concept of the charity egg pack and moves it up a level, creating sustainability in the supply chain, retaining value in the market and giving conscientious consumers a product that is having a direct and positive impact on the environment.
Gill Perkins, CEO of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, said it was a unique scheme that had generated solid results.
Gill said:
This is the first time we have worked with a food producer and the scheme has been a huge success thanks to the enthusiasm of the farmers and the fact that the support from Chippindale Foods is tangible and practical.
The company works with the farms to establish new habitats and the Bee Friendly Egg brand raises awareness of our work with consumers.
- Chippindale Foods dates back to 1930 when Leonard Chippindale introduced poultry to the family farm in Harrogate.
- Chippindale Foods has a range of brands including Free Rangers “the pick of our farms the pride of our nation”, regional brands from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Northumberland and Bronte Brown eggs.
- The majority of its production comes from long established partnerships with family farmers.
- Chippindale Foods is the only food production company to partner with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The partnership has created more than 16 acres of bee friendly habitat in the past three years.
- Bee Friendly Eggs is an initiative that encourages consumers to support the work of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and generates tangible outcomes.
- Chippindale Foods and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust have developed a training programme in association with one of their Bee Friendly Farms to train farmers and their families to become bee walkers to monitor species types and numbers on their land.
- The Bumblebee Conservation Trust aims to increase wildflower habitat and ensure our communities and countryside are rich in bumblebees and colourful flowers. To find out more about becoming a member and supporting their vital work visit
