A FAMILY firm has stepped up production at its Yorkshire packing centre by a million eggs a week to meet growing demand from retailers.

Chippindale Foods supplies free range locally-sourced eggs to Sainsburys, Morrisons, Co-op, Booths, Aldi and Lidl from its purpose-built 55,000sq ft low carbon egg packing facility.

Managing director Nick Chippindale attributed 15 per cent production growth in the first quarter of 2017 to increased consumer demand and a five-year programme of investment.

“In 2013 we opened our new site at Flaxby, near Harrogate, having made the bold decision to invest £5million in a new egg packing facility to increase capacity.

“Since then we have focused heavily on quality, innovation and sustainability right across the business,” said Mr Chippindale. “The result is that major retailers have confidence in our capabilities and regard us as a robust player in a sustainable supply chain.”

The facility sources half of its electricity from solar energy generated on site and has the capacity to handle more than six million eggs a week.

Recent investment in efficiency and sustainability has included £230,000 on solar panels and the replacement of the firm’s entire logistics fleet with eco-friendly vehicles.

He said the company was now well placed to meet increasing demand for shell eggs and locally-sourced produce, adding: “Consumers are choosing to buy more ethical, local and high quality food products.”