A FAMILY-OWNED egg producer has stepped up production at its North Yorkshire packing centre by one million eggs a week.

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.

Nick Chippindale, managing director, said the 15 per cent production growth in the first quarter of the year was down to increased consumer demand and a five-year programme of investment.

He said: "In 2013, we opened our new site at Flaxby, near Harrogate, having made the bold decision to invest £5m in a new egg-packing facility to increase capacity.

"Since then, we have focused heavily on quality, innovation and sustainability right across the business. 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 50 per cent of its electricity from solar energy generated on site and has the capacity to handle more than six million eggs a week.

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

Mr Chippindale said the company was now well placed to meet increasing demand for shell eggs and locally-sourced produce.

He said: "As well as supplying free range eggs for supermarket brands, we have our own regional brands in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Northumberland that are sourced from our network of local farmers."

Latest industry figures show more than 12.5 billion eggs were consumed in the UK last year with a particular increase in demand for free range eggs.

"Consumers are choosing to buy more ethical, local and high-quality food products and this trend has led to a surge in demand for free range eggs," he said.

"Added to this is a revival in the fortunes of the egg on the British menu with it being recognised for its nutritional benefits and regarded increasingly as part of a healthy balanced diet."