'The egg industry has changed dramatically': Fairburns cracks 75 years — despite mounting pressures on farming

The family-run company has weathered everything from sweeping changes to farmers’ inheritance tax and persistent labour shortages to the ongoing threat of bird flu outbreaks.

Yet from humble beginnings in 1951, when founder Jim Fairburn bought just 150 hens for £150, the business has grown into the UK’s largest independent, family-owned egg producer and packer — while remaining firmly rooted in the fields of Lincolnshire.

Today, the business operates 39 rearing sheds and 62 laying sheds across the county, alongside a UK-wide network of producer partners. At any one time, just under four million birds are cared for across its farms and partner sites, producing up to 17 million eggs every week.

But despite its national reach, Fairburns core operations remain centred in the firlds of Alford and Burgh le Marsh area, where it continues to provide long-term employment and work closely with local farming families — some of whom have worked with the Fairburn family for generations.

I also reported on the company’s 73rd anniversary two years ago, and in that short time the pace of change facing the business — and the wider farming sector — has only accelerated.

Like many agricultural businesses, Fairburns is navigating significant challenges. Proposed changes to farmers’ inheritance tax rules, ongoing labour shortages and the continued threat of bird flu outbreaks are all forcing the company to adapt faster than ever before.

Daniel Fairburn, CEO, said reaching 75 years was a milestone built on the people behind the business.

“Reaching 75 years is a testament to our farming partners, our team and the generations of families who have worked alongside us,” he said.

“The egg industry has changed dramatically over the decades — from higher welfare standards to rising costs and growing expectations around sustainability. Our responsibility is to stay ahead of those changes, while protecting the values this business was built on.”

Over the years, Fairburns has invested heavily in controlling every stage of production — from milling feed and rearing hens through to egg laying, packing and delivery. The company mills more than 80,000 tonnes of feed each year, using grain grown on its own 3,000-acre arable farm as well as crops supplied by local farmers, helping to reduce food miles and support the wider rural economy.

Continuing its focus on higher standards, the firm recently launched its first own-label brand, Better Eggs. The high-welfare range is currently the only UK egg brand to give hens more space than legally required, operating at a voluntarily reduced free-range stocking density — meaning around 10 per cent fewer birds per shed and more room for each hen.

Fairburns distinctive ranges, including its award-winning British Blue and Golden Yolk free-range eggs, have gained national recognition, including a Great Taste Award.

Alongside supplying major retailers, the company continues to support rural initiatives and will begin a Platinum Partnership with the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society later this year.

As it looks to the future, Fairburns says its ambition is not just to maintain its scale, but to continue raising standards in welfare, transparency and sustainable British egg production — ensuring Lincolnshire remains at the heart of independent egg farming for generations to come.