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26.
May
2016.
End of an era for game collector at Wolds poultry and game business

End of an era for game collector at Wolds poultry and game business

 

A Middleton-on-the-Wolds game collector is hanging up his boots for good after half a century of service at a poultry and game supplier.

 

John Smith joined T.Soanes & Son as a 15-year-old boy in 1966 when it was still Church Hill Farm, a 60-acre arable farm.

 

He started working life on the farm doing odd jobs and eventually became a game collector, a role which he held for the last 20 years. He also worked closely with the founder of T.Soanes & Son, Clive Soanes.

 

Despite retiring from his full-time role last month, John said he occasionally pops down to Soanes Middleton on the Wolds factory.

 

"I used to go round to Church Hill farm, which was next door to our house, because my brother worked there.

 

"Then I ended up in the fields, bringing in chickens, milking the cows or doing any other jobs that needed doing. They used to have sheep and cows but then they specialised and got rid of the animals apart from the chickens."

 

Over 20 staff members including company director Andrew Soanes, general manager Nigel Upson and Margaret Soanes helped John celebrate at his retirement party held in the village pub, The Robin Hood Inn.

 

John was presented with a retirement cake made by friend Cheryl Barr, who runs a snack bar located at the nearby Bainton layby.

 

Andrew Soanes said they couldn't have asked for a more loyal and dedicated worker than John.

 

"We will miss him but we know that he will always come back to give his help because he likes to keep busy."

 

John now intends to devote more time to tending his garden and playing bowls and dominoes and will also be helping out Margaret Soanes with gardening and odd jobs.

 

T.Soanes and Son is a family owned business which has been rearing and preparing chicken for 69 years. It employs over 80 people and rears five million chickens a year on its Yorkshire Wolds farms and sells its chicken and game to butchers and independent retailers in Yorkshire and to wholesalers nationwide.

 

 

Ends

 

Image:John Smith and former Soanes colleagues at his retirement party

 

For more information or to arrange an interview withT.Soanes & SonGeneral ManagerNigel Upson,please contact Tracey Baty at three60 marketing on;

 

Direct line: 01430 871360

Mobile: 07971 961574

E mail:traceybaty@three60marketing.co.uk

Web:www.three60marketing.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Notes to editors

 

  1. For more information aboutT.Soanes & Son, please visitwww.soanespoultry.co.uk.

  2. Keep up to date withT.Soanes & Son's news on the business bloghere.

  3. T.Soanes & Son supplies its chicken to butchers and independent retailers in Yorkshire and to wholesalers nationwide.

  4. The firm also sources game which it distributes through a game processor. For more information about game available fromT.Soanes & Son, please visitwww.soanespoultry.co.uk/game.

  5. T.Soanes and Son is accredited under the BritishRetail Consortium Food Safety Standard A Grade and the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Standard.

  6. The business was recently namedPoultry Processor of the Year at the national Pig and Poultry Marketing Awards held in London at the end of April.