Council is a good egg
10:38am Saturday 10th May 2008
IT'S official - Halton Council is a Good Egg'.
The authority was among 21 UK pioneers to be honoured with a Good Egg Award for its decision to only buy free-range eggs.
Cllr Phil Harris, the council's board member for school meals, said: "This shows that we are taking the treatment of chickens seriously in Halton.
"Halton Catering Services has always been at the forefront of national initiatives and has on many occasions led by example."
The council, which banned eggs from caged hens in February, picked up the award from Compassion in World Farming last Tuesday at a bash at the House of Commons.
The policy, which follows the council's decision to offer Fairtade tea and coffee, includes eggs used in staff and visitor restaurants and cafés, the Stobart Stadium and all schools in the borough.
Rowen West-Henzell, food policy manager at Compassion in World Farming, said: "At this year's Good Egg Awards we wanted to celebrate councils who've decided to show leadership on this crucial welfare issue.
"By going cage-free they've demonstrated best practice and have responded well to the concerns of a growing number of their constituents."
Other winners included the National Trust, Cadbury's Cream Egg and McDonald Europe.