The Lakes Free Range Egg Company

What The Lakes Free Range Egg Company does

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company is a family-owned UK producer and packer of free range and organic eggs, founded in 1997 by David and Helen Brass and headquartered in Stainton, Penrith, on the edge of the Lake District National Park. It runs a flock base of over one million laying hens, combining company-owned layers with a contract network of small family farm producers in Cumbria, all operating to a shared environmental ethos. Its commercial offer comprises three branded lines — The Lakes Free Range, The Lakes Organic, and Laid With Love (a specialty line donating 2p per dozen to Cancer Research UK with Lutein-enriched feed) — supported by the UK's first farm-of-origin traceability system using unique on-shell codes.

The company's underlying technology is built around a proprietary dark-brooding pullet rearing system, co-developed with the University of Bristol and Israeli partner Agro Logic, which uses underfloor heating and bespoke electronic monitoring (ammonia, CO2, temperature, feed and continuous bird weighing) to deliver what the company reports as 90% less energy consumption than conventional units and an industry-leading 314 eggs/bird average. Egg packing runs on a state-of-the-art robotic, low-carbon facility targeting carbon-neutral status, drawing on 100kW of solar generation, a biomass boiler, 50% lower water use and zero-waste-to-landfill operations.

The business model is B2B, selling on quote-based pricing to UK enterprise retailers (Sainsbury's, Tesco, Booths) and food service chains (notably McDonald's as a global case study for over a decade), supplemented by regional and farm-shop channels. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with deep category-account relationships, layered with community, PR and education channels (school visits, LEAF Open Farm Sunday, charitable partnerships) that reinforce brand equity. Revenue streams are predominantly one-time product sales across the three egg brands plus value-added pullet rearing and contract packing services via sister company Performance Pullets; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company

Legal name

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company Limited

Website

https://lakesfreerange.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company is a family-owned UK producer and packer of free range and organic eggs, supplying major retailers (Sainsbury's, Tesco, Booths) and food service chains (McDonald's) from its Cumbria headquarters, with proprietary dark-brooding pullet rearing, farm-of-origin traceability, and a carbon-neutral packing facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Penrith

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free Range Eggs: Production and packing of free range eggs sold to retailers and food service customers. Primary revenue stream from their core egg products.
2. Organic Free Range Eggs: Production and packing of organic free range eggs under The Lakes Organic brand.
3. Laid With Love Branded Products: Premium branded eggs with donation to Cancer Research UK (2p per dozen). Features enriched diet with Lutein from marigold extract.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company produces, packs and supplies free range and organic free range eggs to major UK retailers and food service customers. It operates a network of contracted family farm producers, a state-of-the-art low-carbon egg packing facility, and a sister-company pullet rearing operation. The company was the first UK egg producer to guarantee farm-of-origin traceability on every egg.

Product overview

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company is a family-owned free range and organic egg producer and packer based in Cumbria. Their product portfolio consists of three egg brands: The Lakes Free Range (standard free range), The Lakes Organic (certified organic), and Laid With Love® (specialty brand with Cancer Research UK donation). These products are supported by operational services including a sustainable egg packing facility with robotics, a traceability system for farm-of-origin verification, and pullet rearing facilities. The company operates their own laying flocks alongside a network of contracted family farm producers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lakes Free Range: Core free range egg brand with farm-of-origin traceability.
• The Lakes Organic
• Laid With Love

Products and services

• The Lakes Free Range
• The Lakes Organic Organic free range eggs produced to organic certification standards, with hens raised on tree-planted pastures and biodiversity action plans. Sold to UK retailers and food service customers.
• Laid With Love Specialty premium free range egg brand with hens fed an enriched diet including Lutein from marigold extract for richer yolk colour. The brand donates 2p per dozen sold to Cancer Research UK. Stocked at Booths and regional Tesco stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% less energy used in pullet rearing compared to standard units
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McDonald'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014Long-standing supplier of free range eggs to McDonald's restaurants for over a decade. Partnership includes animal welfare research published in scientific journals. The Lakes featured in McDonald's 'Best of Sustainable Supply' report and received Outstanding Contribution Award.
• Sainsbury'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey retail customer sharing ethos for animal welfare and environmentally friendly, sustainable farming. Partnered on Open Farm Days and store promotions.
• Performance PulletscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company that has built state-of-the-art pullet rearing facilities. Developed revolutionary dark brooding system with 90% less energy consumption. Located on 15-acre site alongside existing rearing units.
• University of Bristol (Professor Christine Nicol and Dr Claire Weeks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for pullet rearing research and facility design. Research has shown major benefits in feathering and chick growth from dark brooding.
• DEFRA/GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on poultry breed research and beak trimming studies.
• FAI Food Animal InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with McDonald's on animal welfare in conjunction with continued research.
• Cumbria Farm Environment Partnership (formerly FWAG)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal specialists engaged to help producers enhance their ranges by developing bespoke Bio-Diversity Action Plans.
• WISPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with others in agriculture to improve sustainable farming across the globe.
• Cancer Research UKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partnership through Laid With Love brand which donates 2p per dozen eggs sold to cancer research. Staff also participate in Race for Life events.
• St David's Veterinary PracticeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDelivered bespoke 'Advanced Training Scheme for Poultry Management' course designed by CEO David Brass and Head of Agriculture Roger Gill.
• Scottish Agriculture Colleges/SRUCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupported training course delivery through Leader Animal Welfare Delivery funding. Course held at factory and Newton Rigg Agricultural College.
• LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual participation in Open Farm Sunday events organized by LEAF to welcome consumers and showcase sustainable farming.
• Ronald McDonald House CharitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStaff participate in annual gladiator events raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Noble Foods: UK's largest egg producer and packer, parent of The Happy Egg Co. and other free range, organic, and specialty egg brands serving the same major retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury's, etc.) as The Lakes.
• The Happy Egg Co. Premium free range egg brand marketed in UK retailers with welfare and traceability messaging; competes directly with The Lakes' core free range and Laid With Love SKUs on supermarket shelves.
• Clarence Court: Premium and specialty egg brand (including specialty breeds) sold through UK premium grocers such as Waitrose; directly comparable to The Lakes Organic and Laid With Love in positioning and channel.
• St Ewe Free Range Eggs: Cornish free range egg producer supplying restaurants, hotels and foodservice with premium provenance; comparable as a regional free range brand pushing into foodservice channels like McDonald's and Booths.
• Oaklands Farm Eggs: Independent UK free range egg producer supplying regional and national retailers; similar family-farmer network model and B2B supply structure to The Lakes.
• Fridays (egg products): UK egg processor producing liquid, frozen and dried egg products for food manufacturers and food service; overlaps with The Lakes in the foodservice supply chain and value-added egg category.

Regional players

• Vital Farms: US pasture-raised egg brand with strong ethical and traceable sourcing story; comparable business model and premium positioning, but operates in North America rather than competing in the UK.
• Pete & Gerry's Organics: US organic and free range egg producer using small family farm network model; comparable to The Lakes' producer network and organic certification, serving a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Stonegate Farmers: Large UK egg and poultry products company offering free range, organic and processed eggs to retailers and food service; competes in overlapping channels but as part of a broader portfolio.

Others

• Cotswold Fayre: UK specialty food producer supplying premium and free range dairy, eggs and related items to delis and farm shops; overlaps with The Lakes at the regional/deli retail end rather than directly as an egg producer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakesfreerange
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/The-Lakes-Free-Range/369646553213816
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lakes-free-range

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Lakes Free Range Egg Company