The 2018 National Egg & Poultry Award winners were announced on Tuesday night in a prestigious ceremony at London’s Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.
LJ Fairburn & Son scooped the Poultry Business of the Year award in recognition of their sustained programme of investment and growth, while Moy Park was named processor of the year. Noble Foods won the prize for marketing initiative of the year for its Happy Eggs campaign, and Traditional Norfolk Poultry walked away with Grower of the Year.
The National Egg & Poultry Awards were launched this year as an annual event by Poultry Business magazine and Lewis Business Media to recognise excellence and innovation in the egg and poultry sectors. Business leaders from all the major egg and poultry firms and representatives from industry bodies gathered to celebrate the achievements from across the spectrum of the sector – with awards recognising individuals excelling in their roles, to businesses investing and growing.
BBC sports presenter Hazel Irvine hosted the ceremony, laced with plenty of poultry-based puns as well as stories from her 30 year career as a broadcaster.
Poultry Business publisher Simon Lewis said: “These awards have highlighted the breadth and depth of talent, drive and ambition in the egg and poultry sectors and is a pleasure to recognise the winners, but also all of those shortlisted which in itself is a great achievement.”
Poultry Business editor Chloe Ryan told the audience there was a lot to be proud of. “As one of the judges, it was so encouraging to see real investment and innovation in the businesses we visited. Automation in plants is truly impressive to see, and the level of investment in some businesses – into new equipment, new processes, new people – shows this industry is fit for the future.
“Growing and supplying food is the most essential, basic role any society depends upon. As we often hear when discussions of economics, politics and the environment come up – everyone’s got to eat. And whatever changes in the world around us that fact will remain.
“And what’s really encouraging is that all the winds are set fair for those in the egg and poultry business.
“In 2018, six billion eggs were sold to UK consumers – the highest number ever.
“In the three months ending in April, 130 million kilos of poultry meat was sold to UK consumers – nearly 3% up on the same period a year ago.“
In the individual awards, newcomer Lyn Williams was named stockman of the year. She works on a 16,000 free-range laying unit producing eggs for Tesco through egg packer Anglia Free Range. The unit was established in January 2017 on a green field site on an upland beef and sheep farm that had no experience of poultry farming before. The first flock of Lohmann Brown is about to be depleted and they have produced 325 eggs per bird at a mortality of 3.7%.
Anna Healy was named unit manager of the year for her work at Joice & Hill Poultry. Over the last five years she has managed the expansion and modernisation programme to ensure the business has one of the most modern, bio-secure and efficient hatcheries in the UK.
BBC sports presenter Hazel Irvine hosted the awards with aplomb
The full list of winners and sponsors is below and full coverage of the awards will be in the next issue of Poultry Business magazine, out on 17 July.
Egg Packer of the YearSponsored By |
LJ Fairburn & Son WINNER – St Ewe Free Range Eggs |
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| Grower of the Year Sponsored by  |
Itney Farm WINNER – Traditional Norfolk Poultry |
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| Innovation of the Year | Just Egg Chilled Foods OPTifarm WINNER – PECK Drinks |
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| Pullet Rearer of the Year Sponsored by  |
DJ & BG Andrew WINNER – G & K Craddock & Son Potters Poultry |
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| Egg Producer of the Year Sponsored by  |
WINNER – Border Eggs CS Gent and Sons NF & SJ Smith NS & GM & BW Edkins |
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| Hatchery of the Year Sponsored by  |
WINNER – Joice & Hill Poultry Moy Park |
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| Marketing Initiative of the Year | Avivets Group WINNER – Noble Foods |
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Processor of the YearSponsored by |
WINNER – Moy Park Traditional Norfolk Poultry |
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| Stockman of the Year Sponsored by  |
Steve Lambert, Kelly Turkeys WINNER – Lyn Williams, Derwydd CYF |
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| Trade Supplier of the Year | Applied Bacterial Control Crowshall Veterinary Services WINNER – Kilco MSD Animal Health |
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| Unit Manager of the Year Sponsored by  |
David Andrew, DJ & BJ Andrew Ben Edkins, NS & GM & BW Edkins WINNER – Anna Healy, Joice & Hill Poultry |
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| Poultry Business of the Year Sponsored by  |
WINNER – LJ Fairburn & Son Potters Poultry Traditional Norfolk Poultry |