Local farmers egged on by Jamie Oliver campaign

Wednesday 28 October 2015

A group of local farmers hope to crack a gap in the local egg market and support a Jamie Oliver campaign to get more of us eating pullet eggs.

Happy Hens, Hamptonne Farm Ltd and St Lawrence Growers have teamed up to make sure the little hen eggs are on the shelves all year round.

Pullet eggs are the first eggs laid by young hens but are often thrown away because they are smaller than the other eggs on our supermarket shelves.

Happy Hens owner Alan McCaffrey said: “I saw a Jamie Oliver programme over the summer, where he was campaigning for the pullet egg and against the huge waste caused by farmers having to throw them away.

“For us here in Jersey, the problem was that most producers were sourcing hens from the same supplier, so our young hens would all be laying pullet eggs at the same time.

“By coming together and using different suppliers, we have managed to ensure that there is a consistent supply. It means that we can now sell the eggs at a competitive price all year round.”  

The Co-op is now selling the trio’s ten-pack pullet eggs and say initial sales of ‘Littleheneggs’ are encouraging.

Pullet eggs are popular with restaurants and cafés as they make the perfect breakfast eggs. They are also popular with home bakers because they tend to have a bigger yolk and hold well together when they are cooked.