Go on, be a good egg!

by Michelle Allmark published 22nd May 2009

Banish the battery egg in your kitchen and you could get an award thrown in!

When it comes to farm animal welfare battery hens something that the general public are very aware of. An increase in free range egg sales shows that it is also something they are not too happy about.

"20% of shoppers now say that knowing about the standards of animal welfare has become one of their key drivers of product choice".
IGD shopper trends 2009

More than ever before, customers are taking a real interest in where their food has come from.

It's really easy to change to either free range or barn egg. Prices are getting much more competitive now that they are in the mainstream and a staple in the supermarket trolley.

The marketing potential of making the change to free range is massive, shout about it! Hellmanns recently changed their mayonnaise to free range and proudly covered London with billboards telling us so. Hellmanns were awarded a GOOD EGG AWARD from Compassion in World Farming, this is a fantastic marketing tool, have a look for yourself at www.thegoodeggawards.com
There are some familiar names on there including McDonalds and Subway who have seen the marketing potential.

So if you can, go free range and shout as loud as you can about it - it will do your brand and your conscience the world of good!

Below are some quotes by a few restaurants that have been awarded a GOOD EGG AWARD:

"We are very pleased to be recognised by Compassion in World Farming for the work we are continuing to do throughout the EU to phase out the use of eggs laid by caged birds from our menus. Our customers are increasingly interested in animal welfare and sustainability. We also believe this is the right thing to do."
Keith Kenny, Senior Director, McDonald's Supply Chain Europe

"Everybody at Leon is so chuffed to bits about having won this award; using free-range eggs has always been a no-brainer for us both in terms of flavour and the quality of the birds' lives. For people who care about this compelling partnership (flavour and ethics) free-range eggs are a given, and we are extremely proud to be a part of this initiative."
Allegra McEvedy, Leon

"Becoming a Good Egg Winner is so easy and makes so much sense - winning an award isn't the reason to use free-range eggs in all our products but a happy by-product. Good animal husbandry and welfare standards are a must, and attaining these for your business is an easy, hassle free process these days. In this day and age there is really no excuse."
Nicki Fisher, Sustainability Manager, Pret A Manger

"As a company, we are committed to using and stocking only cage-free whole eggs for our menus. We are currently working closely with our suppliers to ensure that all supplied products are also manufactured using only cage-free eggs by the end of 2008. We are thrilled to receive a CIWF Good Egg award and believe that we are listening to our customers' needs and demonstrating ethical responsibility."
Jameson Robinson, Food Development Manager, J D Wetherspoon

Author : Michelle Allmark

Michelle Allmark is Creative Director at Ignite Hospitality and is always there when there is something creative going on! She is also passionate about farm animal welfare and the environment.
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