UK first public-access commercial poultry farm to open in North Yorkshire

A manufacturer of poultry farm equipment will launch the UK’s first commercial poultry farm that is open to the public, with an £8.1m finance package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Vencomatic Group is set to open The Northern Poultry Campus at Sally Farms, a new 600-acre poultry farm in Helperby, North Yorkshire.

Launching in 2020, the campus will include a café and a gift shop for visitors and will showcase the egg production process to consumers. This will allow them to see where their eggs come from and how birds are treated.

The Northern Poultry Campus will also provide venue and learning facilities for local agriculture colleges.

The facility is expected to house up to 64,000 birds, with 80 acres of outdoor space for livestock. The nests were specifically designed for the UK market with support from the University of Bristol.

Dr Leon Furlong, managing director at Vencomatic Group, said: “The nesting systems that will be used at The Northern Poultry Campus are designed to keep birds in good condition and minimise the risk of injury and disease.

“Making this facility accessible to the next generation of poultry farmers will help to grow and safeguard understanding of animal wellbeing in the sector for the future.”

Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking’s York-based agriculture team provided Vencomatic with the £8.1m finance package to purchase the land and develop the commercial and public-access units.

Vencomatic Poultry is the UK dealership of Vencomatic Group, a Dutch company which supplies its poultry equipment to farms all over the world. Based in Thirsk, the UK business boasts a turnover of more than £10m.

Free-range egg specialist Wot-A-Hen agreed to a 20-year lease to manage the unit at Sally Farms, which will supply eggs to Noble Foods to be sold under the Happy Egg brand.

Ian Smellie, agriculture relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, added: “The egg production sector has long been on a journey to move away from keeping livestock in batteries to maximise yields. Now, far more recognition is rightly placed on the welfare of birds, and Vencomatic’s systems are leading the way in facilitating this.

“We’re committed to helping Britain prosper by supporting business like Vencomatic, which are working to deliver positive change within their industry, as well as providing the means to boost skills.”

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