With the Great British Bake Off back on the television, NFU Scotland this week celebrated the cornerstone of homebaking - the humble egg - and highlighted one of the many fantastic egg producers we have in Scotland, the Robb family in Ayrshire.

SCOTLAND’S EGG farmers produce eggs to the highest health and welfare standards which guarantees not only the best quality of life for the hens laying the eggs but also the best taste for the consumer.

The Robb family, Chalmerston Farm, are egg producers in Ayrshire. Billy, Irene and their sons (and grandchildren) have around 80,000 free range hens on the farm, which has been in the family since 1957.

Billy and Irene started off with 4000 hens the first year they took over the from Irene’s father, Hugh Strathearn, in 1991.

“We started off with around 4000 hens in fairly old cages when we first came here,” said Billy, “putting in new cages the second year – which were more appropriate at the time.

“Things have moved on from then. We’ve moved onto free range in old sheds, barn systems initially but now fully free range since 2010 which saw us increase to around 16,000 birds.

“Over the last ten years we’ve slowly improved and expanded our systems and sheds, and we’ve gone from originally 4000 to now 80,000 hens.

“We’ve done away entirely with the old sheds now and we only use the new sheds. They are far more animal friendly, staff friendly, the birds are far happier, and are all free range.

“The hens are doing well and are much happier. Things have moved on and when you see the birds out roaming the fields and in amongst the trees, you can see they are far happier.”

As the standards for animal health and welfare improve and increase, so does the quality of produce from Scottish farmers, like Billy Robb and his family.

Choosing local, Scottish eggs for baking means you are choosing eggs like the Robb’s, produced to the highest standards with the welfare of the hens the priority.

These high standards are not only seen in the welfare of the hens but are also seen by the consumer through the quality and taste of the eggs they produce.

Choose Scottish for your showstopper this year… it could make the difference.

(This blog first appeared on www.nfus.org.uk)