Meet our chicken farmers: in conversation with Alec and Chris

Consistently bringing you the best free-range meat you can buy can be a delicate operation, and it’s something that we couldn’t do without our close relationships with our farmers. Last week, we caught up with two of our main chicken farmers, Alec and Chris, and took the opportunity to ask them some quick questions to help you get to know the personalities behind your favourite free-range chicken.

Alec, take it away. Can you introduce yourself and what you do?

Alec: Sure, I’m Alec, and our farm is based in rural Staffordshire, in the heart of the country. My family have been farming here for over 100 years and I started farming our free-range chickens when I came back from university in 2007.

Chris, what about you?

Chris: I’m Chris, and I rear free-range chickens for Field & Flower in Somerset, alongside my wife Hollie. I’d always loved poultry since hatching and rearing geese as a small child but didn’t venture into the wonderful world of chickens until I met my wife. Her passion for animal welfare and my skill in farming was a perfect match for a successful poultry business and developed the farm to what it is today.

Do you enjoy what you do?

Alec: Absolutely! I love it. I love being outdoors, seeing the seasons change, caring for the animals and farming regeneratively to protect the land. As fourth generation farmers, it’s very important to us to leave a positive legacy for our children and the generations to come.

Chris: 100%. Same here. We share the journey with our two children Poppy (10) and Sid (9), and their love for all the animals and willingness to muck in makes living on a farm so enjoyable. They’ll both make wonderful, caring, hardworking farmers when they grow up.

Tell us about your chickens. Why are they the best you can buy?

Chris: All of our poultry is free-range and slow grown in a natural environment. They range under canopies of trees and explore and scratch around with the added security of shelter and shade. Our birds are developed to their own natural growth weight and fed on a simple grain diet, free from artificial additives and routine antibiotics. This allows them to mature slower, ensuring you receive the highest quality meat with real depth of flavour, just like chicken should taste.

Alec: Our chickens are fully free-range. They have everything they need to grow and develop at their own pace- plenty of open pasture to graze, low stocking densities, fresh bedding applied daily, and a bespoke maize and omega-3 enriched diet, that gives the chicken a lovely golden glow. Our chickens lead a content and stress-free life, which is reflected in the quality of the meat.

Why is it so important that we support independent British farming and free-range?

Alec: Well, firstly it allows you to know exactly where your food is coming from and is better for animal welfare. With free-range farming, you can trust that every chicken has led a great life. It also promotes sustainability by preserving traditional methods of farming that prioritise animal welfare and the environment, minimising the impact of intensive farming that can degrade soil quality and harm biodiversity.

Chris: Supporting free-range and British is vital in this day and age. So many products on our shelves and in our restaurants are imported nowadays and we need to push for improved food security so we don’t become dependent on imports. Supporting small family farms like ours also puts money back into the local economy and reduces food miles. All of our birds are reared in Somerset, killed in Somerset and sold from Somerset.

What can people do to better support small-scale farming?

Chris: Buy British, buy free-range and support local farmers where you can. That’s a great start.

Alec: Also, choosing a bigger whole bird can also help. As small-scale producers, we have high fixed costs that are similar regardless of the size of the chicken. So, choosing a bigger bird means more weight to spread those costs across and making it better value for money.

Chris: A bigger bird often tastes better anyway as it’s had longer to grow and mature, and it’s better value for money in terms of portions for the price. I always find my best and cheapest meal of the week is leftovers from a roast chicken. I benefit from loads of different meals.

Do you have a go-to chicken recipe?

Alec: For me, it’s simple- roast chicken. Salt and pepper on the skin, then roast it for around an hour. The meat speaks for itself. Good meat should always be the star of the show.

Chris: I completely agree. A simple roast chicken is the best. I sprinkle mine with rosemary and the zest of a lemon. Pop a lemon inside and roast but ensure you let it rest to continue its magic!