Government gives egg processor £490,000 to build £3M facility
The move will secure 40 jobs at Chippindale and create up to 20 new ones.
The grant came from the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as part its £100M Rural Development Programme for England.
Chippindale md, Nick Chippindale, said: “I’m very proud to be moving Chippindale Foods to a fantastic new facility that will enable sustained growth for future generations.
“We will now be able to pack and grade eggs more efficiently, create jobs and give local farmers the opportunity to increase supply.”
‘Get Britain on the rise again’
DEFRA minister David Heath said: “The aspiration shown by this business is exactly what will get Britain on the rise again, growing our economy, creating jobs and competing in the global race. We are giving thousands of businesses like Chippindale the support they need to grow.”
Chippindale is a family-run egg packaging company, which has been in the family for four generations. 60% of its eggs are free range and the remainder are colony eggs that meet the EU standard.
More job security
The new facility will mean more job security for the 28 local farmers that already supply the egg company and increase demand from other farms in the area.
Chippindale is confident that the move will open up new export opportunities.
New research to be published this month confirms that eggs now contain more than 70% more vitamin D than when they were last officially analysed 30 years ago. They also contain double the amount of selenium.
The research – to be published in the British Nutrition Foundation’s Nutrition Bulletin – revealed for the first time that UK eggs are significant sources of choline and omega 3 fatty acids.
The information was produced by the UK Foodcomp project consortium funded by the Department of Health as part of its programme of nutrient analysis surveys.
Last month (November 22) Heath also opened Nestlé’s extended research and development facility following a £7M investment.
A number of jobs are expected to be created on the back of the investment, including apprenticeships and posts for PhD graduates. Last year, Nestlé committed to a £500M investment in its UK operations over a three-year period.
