First BFREPA Layer Academy cohort selected
Published on : 1 Aug 2026
Eight producers, farm staff and allied-industry professionals have been selected for the first BFREPA Layer Academy, a 12-month development programme for the free range egg sector sponsored by ForFarmers UK.The Academy was launched at the Pig and Poultry Fair by BFREPA board director Lucy Hinch and Greg Marsh, poultry sales manager at ForFarmers UK, and is being run for BFREPA by Lucy Hinch and Bethany Irwin with support from businesses across the sector. Applications came from producers, farm staff and allied-industry professionals across the country, and the successful candidates span a range of businesses, production systems and professional backgrounds.Over the next 12 months the cohort will visit hatcheries, pullet rearing sites, free-range and barn units, egg processors, feed mills and packing centres, with sessions covering vaccination programmes, supermarket requirements, spent-hen processing and the work of the British Egg Industry Council. Participants will meet producers, nutritionists, retailers, regulators and industry decision-makers, and the programme includes leadership development, discussion and networking alongside the technical content.Bethany Irwin, who sits on the Academy committee for BFREPA, said the level of interest showed the appetite for development opportunities in the sector. “This is a fantastic opportunity for producers and farm staff who have an interest in free-range egg production and want to broaden their horizons and explore what the sector has to offer,” she said.Lucy Hinch said the Academy had been developed to build a stronger understanding of the whole supply chain while supporting the next generation of industry leaders. Greg Marsh said supporting producers with development opportunities was central to ForFarmers’ involvement in the laying-hen sector. “We’re proud to play a part in helping shape the next generation of excellence in free-range egg production,” he said.
Eight producers, farm staff and allied-industry professionals have been selected for the first BFREPA Layer Academy
Rhianne Braithwaite - Producer
Rhianne Braithwaite is from Lancashire and looks after 32,000 free-range Hy-Line Brown hens.She has worked in the poultry industry for five years and has enjoyed building her knowledge and practical experience during that time.Rhianne is looking forward to learning from others within the industry and sharing experiences with producers from across the UK.Jack Kerslake - Unit Manager
Jack Kerslake is from Wiltshire and manages a 32,000-bird free-range unit supplying Stonegate.The flock is housed in a Big Dutchman multi-tier system on a mixed farm that also includes dairy, arable and beef enterprises.Jack has worked on the farm for almost eight years. He initially joined as an assistant herdsman before being offered the opportunity to move across to the laying-hen enterprise.The farm also mills its own layer feed, a system introduced during the previous flock that has produced encouraging results.Maisy Pena - Breeder Farm
Maisy Pena works for Joice and Hill, part of Hendrix Genetics, and has managed one of the company’s largest breeder farms for the past six years.Her role involves working with both parent and grandparent stock across several breeds, including Bovans, Shaver, Warren, ISAB, Dekalb White and Hendrix Genetics speciality breeds.Maisy has developed a real passion for her career in poultry and is looking forward to meeting new people, exchanging experiences and continuing to learn from others across the industry.Nicole Learmonth - Poultry Manager
Nicole Learmonth has worked at Woodend Farm for 14 years after completing an HNC in Poultry Production.She has been involved in the farm’s poultry enterprise from the beginning and currently manages its 32,000-bird unit, including flock records, audits and feed production.The farm mixes its own feed using home-grown cereals wherever possible, with Nicole overseeing the process. She has also played a significant role in planning and developing a second 32,000-bird unit.Alongside poultry production, Nicole contributes to projects involving renewable energy, nutrient recycling through Bokashi systems and the integration of home-grown feed into the wider farm business.She is looking forward to exploring less familiar areas of the egg supply chain, understanding the challenges facing other parts of the industry and bringing new ideas back to Woodend Farm.
All eight will join a programme to learn more about the egg industry through a diverse range of visits
Emily Budd - Unit Manager
Emily Budd is from Lincolnshire and has worked for Elwess Ltd for four years.She currently oversees a 48,000-bird Dekalb laying flock supplying Eggsell. The business previously housed a 32,000-bird Bovan flock supplying Fairburn’s before expanding to three sheds during its most recent depopulation.The Dekalbs are the farm’s first white hens, and the business has experienced the benefits of white breeds during the past 12 months. Its next intake, due at the end of the year, will also be a white flock.George Wright - Producer
George Wright is from Norfolk and helps manage a 100,000-bird free-range unit housing Lohmann Brown hens across seven sheds.After studying Business at university, George returned to the family farm to apply what he had learned in a practical setting.He is now focused on helping to develop the poultry side of the business, with a particular interest in improving efficiency, productivity and long-term performance.The farm currently supplies Fairburn’s. From August 2027, it is due to move to Anglia Free Range and welcome its first flock of Dekalb White birds.Lewis Fisher - Farm Manager
Lewis Fisher is the farm manager for Solway Free Range Eggs Ltd, which houses 128,000 birds across eight sheds.The flock is split evenly between 64,000 Lohmann LSL hens and 64,000 Dekalb White hens.This is the business’s second white flock, and an agreement is already in place for another in 2027. Solway Free Range Eggs supplies the Lakes Free Range Egg Company.Kathy Gibson - Producer
Kathy Gibson, from Templepatrick in Northern Ireland, runs a 32,000-bird free-range flock with her husband supplying Stonegate. They are on their third flock — their second with Stonegate — and Kathy’s mother has been a producer for a Northern Irish packer for 15 years. Kathy left her job at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute three years ago to manage the hen house. The couple took the jump into white birds and are in week 86 of their first flock of Dekalbs, with plans to continue with whites into the next flock. The family also runs a mixed farm supplying Wagyu beef to Marks & Spencer, and Kathy’s husband operates an agricultural contracting business. She said egg production had enabled her to work from home with her family, and she is looking forward to meeting and learning from others in the sector.The selection of the first cohort marks an exciting milestone for BFREPA, ForFarmers and everyone involved in developing the Academy.Each participant brings different skills, experiences and perspectives, but all share a desire to learn, improve and play an active role in the future of the egg sector.Congratulations to the first BFREPA Layer Academy cohort. We look forward to following their progress, celebrating their achievements and seeing the knowledge and ideas they bring back to their farms and businesses over the coming year.