Being that this was the first competition that Caldecott Turkeys had entered, Mr Caldecott was delighted to come in first place.
Since Robert re-established the Caldecott Christmas poultry business, beginning with 1000 geese back in 1989, it has experienced 27 years of unmitigated success. By 1991 Robert was rearing 50 turkeys a week for the catering trade, a figure that tripled to 150 per week in 1992 with a further 2000 turkeys being produced for Christmas. Christmas 2015 saw Caldecott Turkey Farms produce 60,000 turkeys and the 2016 figure is set to improve on this further. The way that the business has grown is testament to the hard work and passion that Robert has invested into it, and it really is a great story of success, with all business expansion funded from profits.
Roberts’s passion stems from an early age, collecting eggs for 30p an hour on a neighbouring farm. When he was 14, Robert’s Father bought an egg farm, and he left school at 16 to pursue his poultry career fulltime. Sales and marketing was his favourite aspect of the business, he recalls eagerly waiting for his 17th birthday so that he could deliver the eggs and engage with customers.
Caldecott birds are currently distributed throughout the UK to many a discerning dining table, be it restaurant or home, by 15 wholesale partners. These customers are the most important part of the Caldecott brand and Robert is all too aware of the vital role they play in ensuring that his product is able to reach its ultimate destination both efficiently and cost effectively.
Fourteen of their 15 partners supply directly into the retail butchery industry and Robert has been careful to make sure that Caldecott Christmas turkeys do not directly compete with these outlets, as he notes, “butchers are finding it hard and we need to support them”.
Robert’s is a story which really is as transparent as the supply chain which his product is part of. His success can be attributed, first and foremost to his absolute awareness of his product and his ambition for it. By ensuring his target market is specific his vision for the business has remained constant and unwavering in response to its exceptional success. He is proud of how far he has come; ‘the biggest buzz that I get is that when I first began, packing eggs, it was all about price, because your product was a commodity like everyone else’s. I get fulfilment from the fact that we are now producing a high quality for a higher end clientele, it’s a niche product’.
The full article was published in the Dec/Jan edition of the Poultry Magazine. To receive this please contact your local group secretary.