Stonegate sells egg packing and distribution business

Egg producers supplying the country’s second biggest packer have been informed that the company has sold its free range business.

Stonegate has written to its producers to tell them that it has sold its free range and organic operations. The company, which is based at Chippenham in Wiltshire will continue with its colony egg business, it says.

The letter to producers was signed by Richard and Pam Corbett, who bought the business in July 2008 after the Competition Commission stepped in to thwart the attempted merger with Deans Food Group to form Noble Foods. The Competition Commission ruled that the merger would reduce competition in the market.

In the letter announcing the sale of the free range business, the Corbetts said: "Today we are announcing that we have sold part of our egg packing and production business.

"The sale includes Stonegate’s free range and organic egg production and packing, as well as the Clarence Court operations.


"We will continue to own and operate our colony egg business Ridgeway Foods."

They said: "It was July 2008 when we joined Stonegate, and over the years we have built Stonegate to be a solid and successful player in the egg market.

Instrumental to this has been our producers and customers. Under James Corbett’s successful guidance,

Stonegate has developed into a modern grocery supplier with a strong management team and great employees."

James, the son of Richard and Pam Corbett, took over as managing director of the company in 2014, succeeding Nick Rogers.

Richard and Pam said in their letter: "After eight years, we have decided that the time is right for us to take a step back and pass the baton to the next person.

Adrian Gott, who previously worked at Stonegate and was instrumental in establishing the Clarence Court speciality egg brand, has purchased Stonegate from the Corbett family.


"As a free range egg producer, himself, from a family who were involved in the poultry industry, we are confident he will continue the successful growth of the business going forward.

"Stonegate will be celebrating its 90th birthday this year and we are very proud to have been part of its fantastic journey.

We know we leave the company in a secure position with excellent producers and a strong customer base.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all over the years and we wish you all the very best for the future."

Stonegate was founded in 1926 when a small group of farmers from the village of Stonegate in East Sussex came together to form an egg co-operative.

The farmers pooled all the eggs they produced and packed them before taking them to markets to sell.

The modern business emerged following the merger between Horizon Farms and Stonegate in 2000 and major acquisitions that included Thames Valley Foods in 2001.

In 2006 there came the controversial merger with Deans Foods to form Noble.

The merger was referred to the Competition Commission and Noble was subsequently ordered to sell the Stonegate business to maintain competition in the UK egg market.

The business was bought by Pam and Richard Corbett.