Consumer demand drives investment in free range farms

An East Yorkshire business has consolidated its position as Yorkshire's leading poultry producer with the announcement that it is expanding its free range offering.

Middleton on the Wolds based Soanes poultry has invested in the first of four farms that will supply 10,000 free range birds a week by the end of 2017, when all are fully operational.

The first of the free range farms is just a few miles away from the factory and houses 4000 birdsthat range and forage in a large grass pasture and enjoy a diet based on Yorkshire Wolds grown cereal.

Soanes Poultry's General Manager Nigel Upson is looking forward to growing more free range birds: "We have seen a huge growth in demand for our free range chicken, particularly from high end London butchers and closer to home in Yorkshire. When the expansion is complete we will be marketing the product as grown on the Yorkshire Wolds so all the sites will be very local to us. We put this demand down to the quality and taste of our offering and the confidence our customers have in the husbandry, care and welfare of these birds."

T.Soanes & Son is a family owned business which has been rearing and preparing chicken since 1947. It rears over five million birds per year on its Yorkshire farms and sells its chicken and game to butchers and independent retailers in Yorkshire and to wholesalers nationwide.

Ends

PhotoFree range chickens at Soanes'first farm

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 and other poultry 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 has just been awarded aGreat Taste Awardfrom the Guild of Fine Food for its whole chicken.