MEET YOUR {OUTSTANDING} MAKER - CHESTER ROAD
Laid by free range hens and packaged in 50% grass-based cartons, Chester Road’s Wairarapa eggs are for folks who like their yolks woke. The proof is in the pudding right? Whether you’re whipping up your next signature pav, pairing eggs to their soldiers or perhaps you’re some adrenaline nut-head who slurps raw eggs for bulking season...you can trust the team at Chester Road are a bunch of really good eggs, always serving sunny side up!
It wasn’t just the story of Chester Road’s Gold-winning Premium Free Range Eggs which caught the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards judges’ attention in 2021 - the eggs received praise for their innovative packaging, local story and good farm practices for hens and humans alike. However, the judges were smitten with the flavour too – saying “nice dark yolks and a slightly caramelised yolk flavour...Really good eggs!”
“Little things that try and help all people access quality produce is what I spend my time trying to dream up” says Chester Road’s director, Chris Martin. The Wairarapa-based family business prides itself on their initiative, Egg Share, bringing fresh eggs straight from the farm to the office - skipping the supermarket. Chester Road is also the poster child for Trace My Egg, making it easier to trace the production method, and individual farm, eggs have come from using unique codes found on all store-bought eggs.
“I don’t understand the whole ‘food is fuel’ mentality,” says Chris. “It’s not just a business for us, it’s a lifestyle” he says, boasting about the freedom and flexibility chicken farming provides the family. When asked what keeps him going, Chris says “my wife, Sunny, is an absolute rock. I couldn’t run a business - let alone life - without her!”. Based in Carterton; Chris, Sunny and their three happily-homeschooled children love life in the Wairarapa for their connection to nature and close relationship with their community.
Where’s the best place to just chill out then? “Nothing beats Castlepoint beach on a good day” Chris says. It’s hard to switch off in poultry farming, but Chris and the family work hard to play hard. When those pockets of quality time pop up, their family are keen hockey players and musicians. The busy bunch are also prized members of the community taking part in sport clubs, assisting in fairs and performing in the local orchestra. Sunny believes there should always be an audience, admiring her family’s musical talents in boasting two cellists, one pianist and a clarinetist for good measure.
The Team at Chester Road were super-stoked to win gold again and sing their suppliers’ praises during the pressing Covid times. Chris loves the way Moore Wilson’s pairs with smaller suppliers and brands across the country. “They’re different in that regard. I really appreciate them.” Farro Fresh in Auckland, Chris says have “been fantastic and with us since the beginning. They’ve been next-level supportive through good times and bad”. The ripple effect of their clear appreciation for New Zealand’s customers and supply chains warms our hearts.
To learn more visit Chester Road.