Crack team at egg company enjoys big break

Thirsk-based James Potter Yorkshire Free Range Eggs has a state of the art “crack detection” system which can monitor up to 130,000 eggs per hour.

This commitment to quality is helping the family-owned firm reach out to new customers.

James Potter Eggs will be going on sale in 95 Tesco Express stores across Yorkshire next month.

James Potter is the main brand of Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs, which was founded by Susan Potter and her husband Roger more than 30 years ago.

In recent years, their son James has become established as the “face” of the business.

According to a spokesman for James Potter Free Range Eggs, the listing will help to tackle the misconception that free-range eggs are much more expensive than caged eggs.

James Potter said: “This is obviously great news for the business and for the profile of our ever-growing brand.

“It’s clear that Tesco is very much in tune with the current consumer trend – probably sparked, in part, as a result of
the horsemeat scandal – 
towards buying local, quality produce, hence the decision to list us in so many Yorkshire stores.”

The company has seen the volume of free-range eggs it handles increase by 250 per cent in the past five years, with significant investment going into hen housing.

The company only produces free range eggs and aims to combine traditional animal husbandry with a commitment to innovation.

Last year, the Potters invited the Press in to see a new French machine, the first of its kind in this country, which cost £300,000 to buy and set up. The machine photographs every egg from 17 angles to check for dirt, cracks, and other blemishes.

James Potter Yorkshire Free Range Eggs is also the key corporate sponsor for the inaugural Yorkshire Marathon, which takes place in York on Sunday October 20 2013.

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