The day for the PIP (Poultry Industry Programme) cohort began with an introduction from Harriet Heap, senior sourcing and sales manager, who provided a thorough overview of Chippindale’s history, along with valuable facts and figures.
I was surprised to learn that the company’s owner, Myton Food Group, is the second-largest food manufacturer in the UK. Did you know that it produces 40,000 cases of eggs a week?
Harriet also mentioned the launch of the ‘Proper Good Egg,’ the company’s exciting new branding, which will appear in Morrisons stores across Yorkshire, and according to Harriet, Chippindale is looking at developing brands for different counties, like Herefordshire.
First carbon-neutral egg
A major focus for farmers in recent years has been carbon emissions, and it was exciting to hear about Chippindale’s achievement in producing the first carbon-neutral egg in 2023.
They are incredibly proud of this milestone and are actively working to increase the number of carbon-neutral farms in their network.
The team at Chippindale Foods has earned numerous awards, including ‘Innovation of the Year 2024,’ and it was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and motivation from the team.
State-of-the-art technology
Next, geared up in our PPE, we began the tour of the egg packing centre.
The process started with the unloading of eggs, and we followed the journey all the way to the finished product being packed into cases.
The speed and scale of the operation were mind-blowing. Robots packed the eggs faster and more efficiently than I ever thought possible.
Chippindale uses a state-of-the-art robotic grader that photographs each egg multiple times to determine its quality before it’s packed into a box.
This was a huge takeaway for me – automation and efficiency are areas I’m eager to improve at my own farm.
“It was great to gain a fresh perspective on the poultry sector and learn more about welfare priorities.”
PIP 2024/25 participant Joe Flanagan
Liquid egg production
Another highlight of the tour was the liquid egg production area. I was particularly interested in this section, as when I’m not producing vaccine eggs, my eggs are often sold to companies that process them into liquid egg products.
It was fascinating to see the process of how they separate the liquid from the shell using a breaker machine.
This gave me a much deeper understanding of the process, which I can now apply to my own operations.
Gaining a fresh perspective
After the tour, we had the opportunity to meet Sophie Throup, technical and sustainability director at Myton Food Group. Sophie shared an engaging overview of animal welfare and sustainability, explaining that their focus was on the five key domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and mental state.
It was great to gain a fresh perspective on the poultry sector and learn more about welfare priorities.
Lastly, on behalf of the PIP, I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone at Chippindale Foods and Myton Food Group. They made us feel incredibly welcome and provided an invaluable insight into their business operations. A big thank you as well to the NFU and ABN for organising and sponsoring our visit.
