Award Recipients

Set up in 1997 by David and Helen Brass, The Lakes Free Range Egg Company (The Lakes) is honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. This accolade is a testament to the company’s pioneering approach, passion and innovation, leading the highest standards of animal welfare, sustainability and environmental provenance in free range and organic egg production.

From the outset, The Lakes has championed the belief that planting trees enhances the welfare of free range hens. This philosophy has driven the company to become one of the UK’s largest specialist free range egg producer/packers. Its approach is profitable, sustainable and replicable, setting an industry benchmark.

David Brass says, “We have a proud history of trailblazing in the field and remain the only egg producer/packer with bespoke Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) for all our ranges and those of our producers. This initiative has resulted in the planting 300,000-plus trees and shrubs across 6,000-plus acres of UK farmland. It brings substantial benefits, like carbon sequestration, production efficiencies, habitat restoration, improved soil health and ammonia reabsorption, thus significantly enhancing local biodiversity.

“As members of the UK Soy Manifesto, we source 100% of our soy from areas free of deforestation and conversion and actively support this transition across the UK. In a groundbreaking achievement, we became the first in the industry to reach Scope 1 & 2 carbon emission net zero. Our recent installation of battery storage technology allows us to operate as an electrical island, providing 100% of our energy needs and underscoring our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and promoting renewable energy.

“Innovation is at the heart of all we do. We developed the UK’s first dark brooding chick-rearing system, which cuts energy consumption by an impressive 85%. We developed and launched ‘BirdBox,’ a world-first technology, designed to improve hen welfare and producer margins. This real-time data capture system, costing £2 million-plus to develop, provides valuable insights to farmers, enhancing operational efficiency and animal welfare.

“For over 25 years, we have been dedicated to sharing best practices with internationally recognised organisations and their producers. This ensures continuous improvement in sustainability and reinforces our position as the industry leader.”