Inspired by a Jamie Oliver campaign, three Island egg producers, who are Genuine Jersey Members, have joined forces to sell small eggs that are praised for their quality but often thrown away.
Pullet eggs are the first eggs laid by young hens. They are smaller than the ‘medium’ and ‘large’ sized eggs that fill our supermarket shelves but no less tasty. Indeed, they are particularly popular with restaurants and cafés as they make perfect breakfast eggs. They also tend to have a bigger yolk and hold well together when cooked so are popular with home bakers.
Three Jersey egg producers – Happy Hens, Hamptonne Farm Ltd and St Lawrence Growers – have teamed up to ensure that pullet eggs are sold throughout the year in the Island. Last week, the Co-op started to sell the ten-pack pullet eggs produced by the trio and initial sales of ‘Littleheneggs’ have been very encouraging.
Happy Hens owner Alan McCaffrey said: ‘I saw a Jamie Oliver programme over the summer, where he was campaigning for the pullet egg and against the huge waste caused by farmers having to throw them away. For us here in Jersey, the problem was that most producers were sourcing hens from the same supplier, so our young hens would all be laying pullet eggs at the same time. By coming together and using different suppliers, we have managed to ensure that there is a consistent supply. It means that we can now sell the eggs at a competitive price all year round.’
