ABERDEENSHIRE-based Farmlay has been named Egg Packer of the Year at the National Egg & Poultry Awards 2026 in London.
The win comes following an investment of £4 million in its packing centre over the past three years, which includes a £2.4 million grading machine, as well as robotics and automation.
Through investment in technology, Farmlay now packs around seven million eggs each week, producing approximately 350 million eggs annually, to support supply chain reliability.
Founded in 1946, Farmlay is run by the Chapman family. Robert and Ethel Chapman have been at the helm of this growing enterprise until recently being succeeded by the next generation – their son Iain and his wife Debbie. Iain is now MD and the third generation of the family to farm at West Cockmuir near Strichen.
Iain Chapman said, “Winning Egg Packer of the Year is a tremendous honour, recognising the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in our business. From our 100 strong team members and 30 producer partners to our customers, this award reflects the strength and longevity of the retained relationships we’ve built over many years and our shared commitment to producing high-quality Scottish eggs.
“We consider our relationship with our producers as very much a partnership with mutual respect built up over many years of successful trading.
“Over the past year the producer group has greatly expanded. Several new farmers have joined, and six existing members have increased their bird numbers to help meet market demand.
“While the business has grown in output, we have also grown our team by 15%, and last year we developed and extended the existing offices, installing temperature control, with underfloor heating from biomass boilers and air conditioning to ensure that staff have a pleasant environment to work in. Each desk has a view from a window to the beautiful rolling landscapes of Aberdeenshire.
“Moreover, in 2025 we invested over £3.5 million in our packing centre including £2.4 million in a second state-of-the-art egg packer to ensure we could fulfil our contracts and would have two machines running to avoid any disruption to this vital supply chain if there are machinery breakdowns or faults.
“We’ve continued and will continue to invest in our facilities, technology and people, and we’re incredibly proud to receive this award and grateful to everyone who has contributed to our success.”
