A glimpse into the future of high-welfare poultry farming

Village Farm Marquees supply organisations across the country with quality marquees for events, shows and markets, and in doing so we get to know a wide range of businesses and their owners. Recently we had the pleasure of working with Vencomatic Group, a commercial poultry equipment supplier based in North Yorkshire, that had planned a huge three-day event to showcase its products to the industry and the local community.

Here we chat with Lindsay Fletcher from Vencomatic’s marketing team about the open weekend.

Leading the way in development

Welfare is the name of the game for the team of poultry professionals at Vencomatic, whose egg-production and chicken rearing equipment is at the leading edge of development in the UK and surpasses the highest industry standards in this country and abroad.

The event was hosted at Sally Farm, in Helperby, which was established with the aim of creating a high-welfare free-range poultry farm which produces eggs efficiently and profitably, in an environmentally friendly setting.

The purpose-built unit at the farm showcases some of Vencomatic’s latest innovations in bird welfare including the Veranda Gallery nest, designed to exceed RSPCA standards in perching and nest availability, as well as ‘environmental enrichment’ products the company has designed such as Pecking Pans and the Forager, which encourage natural behaviour and reduce injurious pecking.

Lindsay explained: “We are leading the way in poultry farming and planned a three-day event to allow the poultry industry and general public to see first-hand the innovations that we believe will define the future of commercial egg production in the UK.

“Sally Farm is a superb location as it demonstrates the highest standards of welfare, efficiency and profitability that will become the benchmark for the commercial free-range egg industry in the UK.”

More than 300 people attended the event, with the first day welcoming industry VIPs; the second day aimed at the wider poultry industry; and the final day catering for members of the public and local interest groups.

“We were really pleased with the number of people who attended,” said Lindsay. “We welcomed key industry individuals including NFU Deputy President Guy Smith, NFU Poultry Board members, and animal welfare organisations and campaigners. Plenty of egg-producers, packers and local people visited too, it was a great opportunity for them to learn more about what we do.”

Agriculture ambassador Adam Henson from the BBC’s Countryfile programme opened the unit with a spirited address calling for the industry to reconnect with its consumers and shout about just how good British food is on a worldwide stage.

Over the three busy days, the Vencomatic team provided tours and demonstrations of the equipment on display, including the Vencomatic Veranda Gallery nest and Prinzen Timeline egg handling system. A number of the company’s partners and suppliers also exhibited, including ground source heat pumps by Alt-Energi; lighting by Hato; ventilation and control by Hotraco; and egg printing by Hitachi. Volunteers from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity also attended to run a raffle for one lucky guest to win a luxury hamper.

Planning makes perfect

As anyone involved in event management knows, a huge amount of time and effort is invested into both the planning and delivery, and absolutely every little detail needs attention. Lindsay said: “We knew we needed an additional indoor area for the exhibition space, stage and TV screens, as well as room for more than 200 people, plus a section for catering and refreshments with tables and chairs.”

A robust marquee with top quality flooring would be essential, and Lindsay knew just where to look. She said: “We chose Village Farm Marquees from a recommendation, and when we spoke to Chrysta, she was friendly, helpful and flexible. Her quote was really good value and she just sold it with her friendliness and flexibility.

“Village Farm overcame a potentially difficult situation with the floor – the ground wasn’t quite finished to the standard required so we needed to do further work on it before the marquee could be erected. They were able to flex around us doing this and still have everything built on time.”

Flexibility is something the Village Farm team pride ourselves on as we know how easily the goalposts can move and on occasion, accidents do happen. Lindsay added: “A week before the event, plans changed and we needed more tables and chairs. Chrysta was really responsive and was able to source what we needed at short notice, and she was also very helpful in finding a toilet supplier. I had total faith in her and her recommendations.

“We unfortunately had a small mishap moving kit around which caused minor damage to a gable end. Of course we offered to pay for the repair and Village Farm were so understanding about it and they were totally transparent about the repair cost, sharing the itemised bill with us.”

Naturally the one thing that is always out of the event planner’s control is the good old British weather, and the only tactic is to hope for the best but expect the worst. In this case, the worst is what everyone got! Lindsay laughed: “The weather was horrible - we had a week of high winds before the event, and then driving rain and even snow on the final day! I was worried the marquee might blow away before the event even started but it was absolutely fine. It held up to the storms and we had no problems whatsoever. The heater worked brilliantly, taking the edge off the biting chill.”

Exciting developments ahead

Looking ahead to the future, there are big plans for further development at Sally Farm. Lindsay said: “Sally Farm really is the farm of the future. The second free-range unit will be built in 2019 and will become the Northern Poultry Campus, which will provide an educational venue for local agricultural colleges and schools, facilitating the provision of skilled workers into the industry.

“The longer-term plan is for the public to visit the farm and see up-close the chickens that produce their eggs, alongside a visitor centre with a café and gift shop.”

Chrysta Newman, Co-director at Village Farm Marquees, said: “As with all the corporate clients we support, we were able to offer Vencomatic a bespoke solution that helped them achieve their goals. And the conditions on that stormy October weekend certainly proved our equipment is extremely weatherproof!

“This is clearly an innovative company with a very bright future. We hope to work with them again and wish them every success in the future.”

For more information about Vencomatic Group, visit www.vencomatic.co.uk

If you are planning an event and would like to speak to Village Farm Marquees about how we can help, please get in touch via info@villagefarmmarquees.co.uk or (01262) 468160.