East YorkshirePoultry business's expansion plans will create 15 new jobs

Plans to increase capacity at Middleton on the Wolds based chicken specialist Soanes Poultry will result in 15 new jobs.

The £1.6million poultry factory extension project will increase capacity by 20% from June 2019 and will create employment in the sales and marketing, processing and distribution departments.

Soanes Poultry's general manager, Nigel Upson said: "The project will enable us toimprove infrastructure, increase whole bird processing and expand our portioning capacity in response to customer needs.

"It's a significant investment that marks a new and exciting chapter in Soanes Poultry's history and goes hand in hand with a plan to upgrade our farms."

The project is part funded by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development with a £583,000 grant secured by Westley Consulting.

Soanes Poultry is a family owned business which has been rearing and preparing chicken for 71 years. It currently employs 120 people and rears five million chickens a year on its Yorkshire farms and sells its chicken and game to butchers and independent retailers in Yorkshire and to wholesalers nationwide.

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Photo:Soanes Poultry'sFinancial Controller, Claire Wright with Nigel Upson, General Manager Claire Wright and Nigel Upson

For more information or to arrange an interview withSoanes Poultry'sGeneral 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 aboutSoanes Poultry, please visitwww.soanespoultry.co.uk.

2.      Keep up to date withSoanes Poultry's news onFacebook,Twitterand the business bloghere.

3.      Soanes Poultry 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 fromSoanes Poultry, please visitwww.soanespoultry.co.uk/game.

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