FREE RANGE eggs from a family run business are to go on sale in 83 Co-operative food stores throughout Yorkshire.

James Potter Yorkshire Free Range Eggs of Thirsk will be stocked in stores from Sheffield to Richmond and Bingley to Whitby.

Adrian Potter, director said: "We take real pride in our family business and eggs, so we’re delighted that the Co-operative is supporting Yorkshire producers; especially as they are so passionate about animal welfare and were one of the first retailers to use only free-range eggs in all their own-brand products.

"Our hens have the run of acres of outdoor space, with plenty of tree cover for them to display their natural behaviour. We hope that Co-operative customers can really identify with where their eggs are coming from and, of course, appreciate the quality and taste!"

Kate Jones, Co-op head of local sourcing, said: "Our customers have told us they want to buy local products at their Co-op store and so we have responded by teaming up with more than 50 new Yorkshire suppliers.

"Products made in the vicinity of our stores are prized by customers who want to support locally produced regional food which often helps to define a specific area such as Yorkshire."

The initiative will also provide a boost to Yorkshire Air Ambulance as the egg company donates 1p for every dozen box of eggs sold. It has already raised £40,000 and sales in the Co-op stores are expected to raise an extra £1,000 a year.

The company has been producing, packing and marketing free-range eggs for more than 30 years and has seen the volume it handles increase by 55 per cent in the past five years.

Combining traditional animal husbandry with innovation, the company is currently investing in a state-of-the art on-farm Packing Centre and new egg grader, with a capacity to handle 126,000 eggs per hour and the latest "self-cleaning" hygiene modules and robotic egg handling.