Supplier of the month: Beechwood Farm
"Delicious eggs laid by fabulous hens!"
How do you like your eggs in the morning? We like ours free-range and from Beechwood Farm. This month's supplier of the month is the wonderful Beechwood Eggs, our free-range egg producer.
Beechwood is an established family business, producing eggs in Berkshire for the last 60+ years. They supply all our farm shops and cafés, and various other local businesses in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.
About Beechwood:
Walter Rice started the business in the 1950s, a free-range farm supplying the local community. His son John developed the business further, and today it is all managed by Nathan, Walter's Grandson.
Although the farm is much bigger, its ethos and values have remained the same throughout the years. The chickens still live how they did back in the 1950s when Walter was in charge, with access to the outdoors and the ability to express their natural 'hen' behaviour.
The hens at Beechwood have access to the outdoors from sunrise to sunset. They say: 'It's all about the hen and the ability to express her natural behaviour, from roaming outside, dust bathing, laying her eggs in a nest, and roosting at night.'
What sets Beechwood eggs apart from other suppliers?
Apart from being truly free-range, Beechwood eggs are extremely fresh. They collect the eggs daily and grade and pack them on the same day, typically hitting our shelves within 36 hours of being laid. When you compare this to a typical supermarket egg, which must transit the supply chain, you can see why local fresh eggs taste so good.
This year, more than ever, we need to support local British producers, particularly those as brilliant as Beechwood.