EDEN-based Lakes Free Range Egg Company has scooped a prestigious business award for its commitment to environ-mental sustainability.

The company, run by husband-and-wife team David and Helen Brass, triumphed in the sustainable products and services category at Business in the Community’s annual Responsible Business Awards, in London.

They received their accolade at a gala event at the Royal Albert Hall, which was attended by the Prince of Wales and around 1,400 other business leaders.

Lakes Free Range Egg Company was set up at Stainton, near Penrith, to supply free range and organic eggs adhering to leading animal welfare, ethical and environ-mental principles.

The Brasses hope it will become the UK’s first carbon neutral egg packing factory this year.

The company is the first egg producer to enrich ranges with tree planting and remains the only packer demanding all producers have biodiversity action plans. It has planted over 152,000 trees, with plans for more each year.

The business has cut waste, reduced energy consumption and created renewable energy, achieving zero per cent waste to landfill and a 50 per cent reduction in water consumption.

All of its energy will be generated on site by the end of this year.

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The company says its enhanced ranges imp-rove animal welfare and egg production, with hens laying an industry-leading number of eggs, generating extra income per bird.

Chief executive Mr Brass said: “To win this national accolade is fantastic.

“We are committed to our ethos of leading edge animal welfare and environmental sustain-ability. It’s a model that’s replicable and sustain-able – even for the 50 per cent of our producers on marginal hill farms.

“We’ve more than 6,000 acres covered by independently monitored action plans and some of the best laying hens in the industry.”