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Goose eggs: Award for newcomer to goose production

Buckinghamshire goose producer David Bruce is this year’s recipient of the John Adlard Memorial Award for newcomers to the field.

He began producing geese this year after his customers began asking for geese as well as turkeys for Christmas from Collings Hanger Farm, Prestwood, near Great Missenden.

The award is made annual to commemorate John Adlard, founder of the modern goose revival and chairman of British Goose Producers for 22 years. It was presented to Mr Bruce by Eddie Hegarty, BGP chairman, during its annual goose walk and meeting at Herons Farm, Coggeshall, Essex.

“Through his association with premium turkeys, David Bruce is aware of the high standards customers are expecting from geese and we’re delighted to help get him started,” said Mr Hegarty.

The award, which includes a donation of goslings and specialist support through the first year, is made annually to encourage new goose producers.

Mr Bruce, who is also involved in a milk delivery business based at the farm, has been producing KellyBronze turkeys for the last eight years and sells all 300 in the farm shop. or many years he reared game birds and ducks — and so has found it an easy transition into geese.

The goose walk, attended by some 60 BGP members from across the country and Ireland, was hosted by Howard and Jane Blackwell who rear almost 2000 geese for Christmas along with turkeys and large table chickens. Many are sold through farm shop which on the eve of the event gained the top award for Essex from shops from Essex Life magazine.

Eddie Hegarty’s son Joseph pictured with
David Bruce, winner of the 2011
John Adlard Memorial Award

Goose eggs: ‘Can’t keep up with demand’

One of the largest suppliers of goose eggs is struggling to keep up with demand as consumers’ appetite for niche products continues to grow.

Norfolk Geese is experiencing unprecedented demand for eggs from farm shops and other retailers as well as individual consumers.

“We’ve never seen this level of orders,” says joint proprietor Eddie Hegarty, also chairman of British Goose Producers. “We used to sell eggs mainly for decorating, but the demand now is for eating them. We‘re dealing with orders from a dozen upwards.”

The eggs are packed in wood shavings in a cardboard box with ‘Fragile – eggs’ marked on the outside. “We hardly ever hear of any eggs being harmed in transit,” he adds.

Mr Hegarty and his family themselves enjoy goose eggs in omelettes, cake recipes and his speciality Yorkshire pudding. ‘One cup of flour, one cup of milk and one goose egg’ is his recipe …. which translates to around 50 grams of flour, seasoned and 150 ml of milk to fill a 12 x patty tin. Cook for 15/20 minutes.

He says BGP members around the country are also reporting buoyant sales with, for example, Howard Blackwell in Essex, trading as The Rare Meat Company experiencing a heavy demand.

Geese benefited from harsh winter — producer survey

The harsh weather last autumn had a silver lining for goose producers, according to results of the annual survey carried out by Norfolk Geese, the UK’s largest gosling supplier.

“The weather provided the perfect environment to finish the birds which is shown up in our survey as a much improved performance in the range of weights,” says Eddie Hegarty, partner of Norfolk Geese. “The geese were on average at least half a kilogram heavier.”

Coming after the better quality of the early autumn grazing, the hard frost stimulated the birds’ appetite and led to them putting on additional weight while also facilitating the plucking and chilled storage.

Despite the economic climate, producers experienced another healthy season of Christmas sales. This year he is again seeing a trend to earlier ordering with the smaller customers increasing their production slightly and larger producers continuing at roughly 2010 levels.

Norfolk Geese — based at the Pulham Market farm where the business was founded by Mr Hegarty’s father-in-law John Adlard more than 40 years ago — sells the traditional Legarth strain which produces 5 – 6 kg oven-ready geese and also the larger framed SuperStow for 7 – 8 kg finished weights.

Last year the gosling price was held, but with the big leap in feed costs the 2011 goslings will be around 6 per cent dearer with the hatchery absorbing part of the increased costs.

Over the past year Norfolk Geese has seen an increase in demand for organic goslings. The parent stock has been certified by the Soil Association and a second generation organic flock in Essex is providing the goslings for this market.

True to tradition, the first goose egg was laid on Valentine’s Day and the first goslings will be available from mid April.

New chairman for British Goose Producers

Eddie Hegarty, partner in the country’s best known gosling hatchery Norfolk Geese, has been elected chairman of British Goose Producers.

He took over from Judy Goodman at the group’s annual meeting hosted by the Goodman family at their Great Witley farm near Worcester. She has been chairman for the past four years and has played a prominent role in BGP activities for more than 10 years.

Mr Hegarty, who has been vice chairman, said Judy Goodman had been a ‘tremendous tower of strength’ who had worked tirelessly to promote the goose sector and to make its voice heard at the British Poultry Council.

The new vice chairman is John Franklin, a BGP council member for many years, who rears geese and a range of free range poultry at Thorncote Green, Sandy, Bedfordshire, for sale through the farm shop and 14 farmers’ markets.

Gloucestershire young producers - winners of the 2010 John Adlard Memorial Award

At the annual BGP farm walk Eddie Hegarty presented the John Adlard Memorial Award to new goose producers, brother and sister, William and Lucy Weaver, of Perrinpit Farm, Frampton Cotterell, Gloucestershire.

They have introduced geese this year as their own ‘JollyGoose’ venture on the 500-acre mixed family farm.

Members of Sodbury Vale Young Farmers Club, they are rearing 30 geese this autumn. “We’ve a friend who has started producing Christmas turkeys and we thought we’d go for geese so as not to compete,” said William.

The award, which includes a donation of goslings and specialist support through the first year, is made annually to encourage new goose producers, commemorating the BGP founder chairman John Adlard who led the revival of the goose sector through more than two decades until his death in 2005.

Poultry World - April 2010

Soapbox article by Eddie Hegarty

click here to read in full

Goose eggs on target for Easter - despite wintry weather

The hard winter that has delayed the arrival of spring blossoms hasn’t held back mother goose — and prospects are that there will be more goose eggs available for Easter this year.“

It is the increasing day length rather than the temperature that dictates the arrival of the first eggs and we had geese laying on Valentine’s Day this year, just as tradition decrees,” says Eddie Hegarty, partner of Norfolk Geese and vice chairman of British Goose Producers (BGP).

“As consumer interest in goose eggs is growing, more goose producers are keeping back birds reared last autumn and the eggs will be available from now until July when days start to shorten. So we’re expecting they’ll be more goose eggs available this year from farm shops, speciality food retailers and even some supermarkets.”

Chefs are seeking to use goose eggs more in soufflés, chocolate brownies and other dishes. The eggs make wonderful sponge cakes and, according to Mr Hegarty, they provide the ideal batter for scrumptious pancakes, Yorkshire pudding and toad-in-the-hole. As well as the fantastic omelettes with a rich golden colour.

Goose newcomers award goes to Peak District

Newcomer to farming in one of the countrys most scenic locations, Lizzie Murphy, is the 2009 winner of the John Adlard Memorial Award for new entrants to goose production.

The award, which includes a number of free goslings and specialist advice through the first year, is in memory of John Adlard, founder of Norfolk Geese and chairman of British Goose Producers (BGP) for 23 years until his death in 2005.

Lizzie, who is rearing 363 geese at Netherdale Farm in Monsal Dale in the Derbyshire Peak District, received the award from Eddie Hegarty, partner of Norfolk Geese and BGP vice chairman, at its annual goose walk at Radley, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Lizzie and her husband Den took over the tenancy of Netherdale Farm in September but had already made arrangements with the owners, Chatsworth Estate, to bring in the goslings in June to start production for the Christmas market.

She had already looked into the market for geese locally and plans to sell them at farm shops, butchers and the farmers market in Bakewell as well as from the farmgate. The farm, which has provided settings for films, is located on the Monsal trail and attracts thousands of walkers through the year.

Try a goose egg - fantastic for omelettes
An increasing number of goose eggs will go on sale this spring as producers seek to cater for growing interest from consumers, retailers and restaurants.Like the goose, the eggs are a seasonal product only available from mid February to July when days start to shorten and the geese go off lay.

The countrys largest gosling hatchery, Norfolk Geese, reports that more of its customers are keeping back birds reared last autumn for egg production this spring.

"We have seen a gradual increase in farmers producing goose eggs, but I have never known interest like this year," says Eddie Hegarty, partner of Norfolk Geese and vice chairman of British Goose Producers, part of the British Poultry Council. "

From Cornwall to Essex, there are producers looking to increase availability of goose eggs. We normally expect the first egg on Valentines Day. Last spring was early and so were the first goose eggs, but with the wintry weather they could well be a little later this year."

Winners of the 2008
John Adlard Memorial Award
The 2008 winners of the John Adlard Memorial Award, David and Fiona Griffiths are pictured with Eddie Hegarty, partner of Norfolk Geese.

The annual award - for new entrants to goose production - is in memory of its founder John Adlard who was also the BGP chairman from its beginning in 1982 until his death in 2005.

The Griffiths live at Trefeglwys, Caersaw, Powys, where they also have beef and sheep on the 230-acre grassland farm.

Lithograph to celebrate traditional British Goose
A lithograph commissioned by British Goose Producers to mark their 25th anniversary is being used this year to promote the most traditional of Christmas meals.

They turned to the Norwich School of Art and Design, which chose final-year degree student Harry Hillier to produce the lithograph. He portrayed three classic white geese strutting through green and pleasant medieval countryside under the slogan A great British tradition.

A first edition of high quality prints on German etching paper has been made for goose producers this autumn individually signed by the artist. Further prints will be seen this year in butchers’ and farm shops around the country.

Helping to develop Michaelmas goose market
An easy start scheme to help goose producers take advantage of the Michaelmas market without needing to process small numbers of birds is being launched by Norfolk Geese in partnership with Gulliver Geese.

Producers will be able to order finished geese to be reared and processed by the partnership, Norfolk Goose Breeders, and then market them in their own locality to develop Michaelmas sales.

"Unfortunately the initial set-up costs for processing numbers as small as 20 geese are very high and this has stopped many producers from developing this market. Feedback from last years Michaelmas has proved there is a market, but it will have to be developed to reach economic levels across the country."

Under the plan producers will place an order for a number of processed geese at certain weights; Norfolk Goose Breeders will rear these birds using a published rearing plan, then kill and pluck birds ready for collection or delivery mid September.

Hatching goslings.....
After a successful first hatch in his bedroom of five goslings Joseph Hegarty will be hatching gosling to provide tame geese suitable as pets this year.

Winners of goose entrant sponsorship
Norfolk farmers, Martin and Rosemary Jensen, are the 2007 winners of the John Adlard Memorial Sponsorship aimed at helping get new entrants to goose production off to a flying start. Their success was announced at the annual farm walk of British Goose Producers, hosted by Norfolk Geese which instigated the award last year in memory of the group's founder chairman John Adlard.

Arable farmers at Guestwick, the Jensens are this year producing 75 geese and looking to sell them to local hotels and restaurants as well as farmgate customers. With their daughter studying agriculture at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, the geese are one part of their diversifying enterprises that include borage, haylage and sheep production.