Cinnamon Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 Last week they had 'Willow farm' Chickens half price on the Butchers counter, so as I fancied one I asked if they were Free range,& was told that they were. Today I had to but some chicken breasts,so picked up pre packed 'Willow farm' ones, & had a look on the label. It doesn't say they are free range, but states that the chickens are barn raised The packaging is made to look like the meat is free range - natural colours etc, but I am not sure if it really is - any ideas (Buffie???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I'm not buffie but as you posted this publicly, I hope this helps.... "Willow Farm chicken Willow Farm chicken was launched this year to complement our standard chicken range. What makes Willow Farm different is that the chickens are a slower growing breed that develop better flavour and greater succulence and texture. Willow Farm chickens are fed a specially formulated cereal-based vegetarian diet. They are housed in spacious barns with straw bales to perch on and the barns have large windows providing the birds with natural light. We launched Willow Farm chicken because we wanted to produce an affordable product with outstanding eating qualities, appealing to a range of customers. It has also helped us to improve the welfare of a large number of chickens. Our work on Willow Farm is the result of our collaboration with the Food Animal Initiative (www.faifarms.co.uk) and our suppliers" source http://www.tescocorporate.com/annualreview07/01_tescostory/tescostory6.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 there's more info at www.faifarms.co.uk click on 'farm tour' on the left, then 'poultry' on the right It sounds good. They have 'open days' so one could theoretically go and check them out I think they supply chicken to McDonalds and Tesco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 Hmmmmmmmmm So were they wrong to tell me it was free range? I have just phoned the customer services numer & they are getting back to me. Thanks for the info,Poet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 well, the farm web site says the breeders are free range but the chicks are housed in spacious barns with perching and dust baths and they even play them farm noises!? Have a read of the farm site, it's really interesting quite encouraging... I know what you mean though, McDonalds told me last week that their chicken was free range! I might contact their customer services too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I've mailed McD's cust svcs, if anyone is interested in their response, let me know and I'll post it here... Sarah, will you let us know what Tesco say please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I was annoyed by the misleading packaging on the Willow farm chickens too. I wonder where the name came from are they really from Willow farm or did they choose that name because it is the name of the organic farm in The Archers? Morrisons sell good free range chickens, they do unfortunately sell what is known in our family as 'sad chicken'too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I deal with egg production but barn reared is not 'free range'. The criteria is the same for meat and eggs Defra info In addition, the birds have had during at least half their lifetime continuous daytime access to open-air runs, comprising an area mainly covered by vegetation, of not less than: * 1m² per chicken or guinea fowl (in the case of guinea fowls, open-air runs may be replaced by a perchery having a floor space of at least that of the house and a height of at least 2m, with perches of at least 10 cm length available per bird in total (house and perchery)). * 2m² per duck * 4m² per turkey or goose The feed formula used in the fattening stage contains at least 70% of cereals, and the poultry house must also be provided with pop holes of a combined length at least equal to 4 m per 100m² floor space of the house. I would say it appears wrong info you were given Sarah BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I know somebody who lives on Willow Farm, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 The packaging is made to look like the meat is free range - [/color] I'm curious, in what way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 http://d232914.dedi49.nettecs.co.uk/willowfarmchicken.asp you can just about see the barns in the background Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 (edited) The packaging,& I am doing this from memory, is just 'nice' Beige labels,with brown & green detailing, & its stacked along side the free range chicken too.......... There is a little blurb about the farm too, & mentions the farmer by name. It just looks as if its natural & good, if you see what I mean I will let you know what they say if & when they get back to me. Edited December 10, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I know somebody who lives on Willow Farm, Best not to identify that person Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 The staff in your local Tesco probably don;t know the difference between free-range and barn-reared. For someone who doesn't know any better, 'barn-reared' sounds quite nice and cosy, far nicer than 'battery' or 'caged', and Tesco don;t do any kind of training with staff to teach them the difference. At this time of year, they are also full of temp staff, who get even less training.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 it would be a lot nicer if the big empty field behind the guy was filled with chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 The staff in your local Tesco probably don;t know the difference between free-range and barn-reared. For someone who doesn't know any better, 'barn-reared' sounds quite nice and cosy, far nicer than 'battery' or 'caged', and Tesco don;t do any kind of training with staff to teach them the difference. At this time of year, they are also full of temp staff, who get even less training.... I agree with that but I think Tesco have to realise that putting chicken that is packaged to 'suggest' that it is free range, right next to free range chicken is misleading. People get paid thousands to design packaging and it's clear that they intend to, perhaps not mislead, but certainly insinuate that the chickens are free range. Product placement and package design all play a part in the way people subconciously shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 it would be a lot nicer if the big empty field behind the guy was filled with chickens indeed! His body language is a bit odd but he might just be uncomfortable with the camera. Wonder what these barn facilities are really like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I know somebody who lives on Willow Farm, Best not to identify that person Martin. That's OK Egluntine - 'Tis me!! - I was going to post anyway..... We're pretty miffed as we sell our eggs as Willows Farm eggs - if we wanted to progress to selling chicken then the name has already been used by Tesco I think they are misleading people with their advertising and pllacement next to proper Free Range chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I know somebody who lives on Willow Farm, Best not to identify that person Martin. That's OK Egluntine - 'Tis me!! - I was going to post anyway..... We're pretty miffed as we sell our eggs as Willows Farm eggs - if we wanted to progress to selling chicken then the name has already been used by Tesco I think they are misleading people with their advertising and pllacement next to proper Free Range chickens. :lol: I agree with your last sentence Lesley. I bought some Willow Farm Chicken the other week. I didn't eat it ...but the general feeling was that it was not that great. Not as good as the farmers market stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 The staff in your local Tesco probably don;t know the difference between free-range and barn-reared. It was the Butcher counter staff I asked, who then went & checked with a menber of management Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 (edited) I agree with that but I think Tesco have to realise that putting chicken that is packaged to 'suggest' that it is free range, right next to free range chicken is misleading. People get paid thousands to design packaging and it's clear that they intend to, perhaps not mislead, but certainly insinuate that the chickens are free range. Of course they do (not getting at you here Poet), that is why it is packaged and placed the way that it is - most supermarkets are doing this and jumping on the 'free range bandwagon' with products that aren't exactly free range, but may appear to be so and are actually cheaper to produce. If you brought them up about it it, I daresay that they would come back and say '...oh, but it doesn't actually say free range on the packaging, therefore we're not misleading anyone'. Sorry, disillusioned ex-marketing person here Edited December 10, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 Indeed. And if I had just looked at the packet I would have made my decision not to buy it on the basis that it doesn't say free range anywhere. But the chickens they were selling were via the butchery counter & they TOLD me they were free range. It wasn't until I went in today & looked at the same brand of chicken & read the packaging that I realised I had been misinformed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 The staff in your local Tesco probably don;t know the difference between free-range and barn-reared. It was the Butcher counter staff I asked, who then went & checked with a menber of management that's even worse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 That always worries me too sarah and Poet - when you ask in a restaurant whether the meat is free range, you only have their word that it is. I do worry that perhpas someone just doesn't know or can't be bothered to find out and says 'yes' just for a quiet life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 That always worries me too sarah and Poet - when you ask in a restaurant whether the meat is free range, you only have their word that it is. I do worry that perhpas someone just doesn't know or can't be bothered to find out and says 'yes' just for a quiet life I think the same, unless the menu specifcally states free range, I won't be eating it in future because you just can't trust what you're told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
