A free range egg farm has launched a door-to-door delivery service to deliver to vulnerable members of the community after securing nearly half a million pounds.
Mayfield Eggs, located in Witney, Oxfordshire has diversified its operations to help meet a significant uplift in demand for eggs after securing a loan from Lloyds Bank.
It has adapted its processes to provide packs of free range eggs to homes across the county whilst maintaining its supply to local stores.
The shift has helped to ensure that elderly and vulnerable residents who are unable to get to the shops can still buy eggs during the Covid-19 crisis.
The farm business has been able to deliver its produce more quickly and efficiently with the help of a new on-site packaging facility and grading machine.
This speeds up the packing process by sorting the eggs by size and weight and packing them into cartons.
The machine was purchased with the help of a £480,000 loan provided as part of Lloyds Bank’s Clean Growth Financing Initiative (CGFI).
The funding has also enabled Mayfield Eggs to cut its emissions by removing road miles from transporting eggs to and from the previous packing site, as well as reducing operating costs.
James Lyall, director at Mayfield Eggs said demand for eggs had 'rocketed' during the Covid-19 lockdown.
"We pride ourselves on being part of the community, and wanted to adapt our processes to offer a door-to-door delivery service for local residents during this difficult time.
“Our new packing facility and grading machine have enabled us to get our produce out to residents more quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring every egg we deliver is as fresh and delicious as possible.”
Lloyds Bank has committed a £2bn fund to support businesses impacted by Covid-19. This provides for additional fee-free lending to SMEs and capital repayment holidays.
