Winner: James Potter Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs

Finalists: Mullen & Mullen; Thomas the Baker

A THIRSK egg producer which has grown from a small flock of hens to 200,000 with a 250 per cent increase in production over the last five years has been named Family Business of the Year.

James Potter Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs, which has 20 staff and turns over £18 million a year, is Yorkshire’s largest, and the UK’s second largest, producer of free-range-only eggs.

The company, of Village Farm, Catton, near Thirsk, is immensely proud of its “hen-centric” approach and its policy of handling only freerange and organic eggs. This means all 200,000 of its hens are free to roam outside in woodlands and on fresh pasture, and to supplement their diet with grass, worms and insects.

Supply Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the company has seen the volume of the eggs in handles increase by 250 per cent in the last five years, with significant investment going into hen housing, and a state of the art crack detection system which can monitor 130,000 eggs and hour, and which judges said had to be seen to be believed.

The judges said the business was a clear winner in the category for growth expansion and family involvement, and described James Potter Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs as leaving its competitors playing catch-up.

The family run business, which has been producing free-range eggs for more than 30 years, started out with a small flock so that Mrs Potter could have eggs “the way they used to taste”.

The business is run by Susan and Rodger Potter and their sons James and Adrian, with daughter Rebecca also now joining the family operation.

The business has been built upon a firm reputation for high standards of animal welfare, providing hens with the run of acres of outdoor space, with plenty of tree cover to encourage foraging, dust bathing, and other natural behaviour.

Eggs are collected and packed daily so can be in the shop within 24 hours of being laid.

Earlier this year the company launched its highly successful 55 campaign, which sought to debunk the myth that free-range eggs are much more expensive to buy then caged or budget eggs. Price comparisons and research conducted by James Potter Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs found that it would cost just £5.55 per year to switch to buying free-range eggs - significantly lower than consumers’ perceptions.

This year the company also got involved in one of York’s biggest ever sporting events, the Yorkshire Plusnet Marathon, sponsoring the corporate relay.

Speaking about winning the Family Business of the Year title, Adrian Potter said: “ It is wonderful to have won. It recognises the work we are doing in terms of promoting free range eggs as the way forward, and how eggs should be produced.

“Family is vital to this business. It makes things fun and can make your job easier. We all work off each other’s strengths, support each other when things are difficult and share the success when it’s going well.”