By Hannah Cargill, contract production manager, Avara Foods
In July 2024, colleague and friend Tom Woolman wrote a column entitled In Praise of Catchers. At the time, I remember thinking how well deserved that recognition was. Fast forward a year, after what is only the first of this summer’s heatwaves, and I find myself wanting to add my own voice to that appreciation.
Broiler catching isn’t a comfortable job on a cool autumn day, never mind in temperatures nudging above 35°C, and having spent time on farms during the recent hot weather, seeing the catching teams in action only reinforced my admiration for the people who quietly get on with one of the toughest jobs in our industry.
The latest heatwave also highlighted something else for me. We used a combination of machine and hand catching, and it left me with little doubt that catching machines are the future. They still require skilled operators, but they remove a vast amount of the physical strain from the job. That isn’t just about making work easier; it’s about protecting the catcher’s bodies, extending careers and creating a more sustainable workforce for the future. Sometimes investing in technology isn’t about replacing people, it’s about looking after them.
While growers were doing everything to keep birds as cool and comfortable as possible, the catching teams were working methodically through the sheds, carefully handling birds, constantly monitoring welfare and adapting their pace to minimise stress. It’s demanding work in peace time but doing it in sweltering conditions deserves real recognition.
Catching teams are rarely in the spotlight, but they are an essential link between farm and factory, and without them the supply chain simply stops. Of course, they do have a habit of “borrowing” the occasional blue roll or mysteriously acquiring a spare pair of wellies from the farm. I suspect every grower reading this will know exactly what I mean. But after the past few weeks, I think we can forgive them.
So, here’s my own small tribute. Thank you to every catching team that worked through the recent heatwave. Your resilience and commitment to both bird welfare and the wider industry did not go unnoticed. Quite simply, we couldn’t have done it without you.