2009 Good Egg Awards announced

Now in its third year, The Good Egg Awards have been developed by Compassion in World Farming, the farm animal welfare charity to celebrate companies that have committed to freeing millions of hens from a life of suffering in battery cages. Sales of free range and barn kept eggs made up 61% of the 700 million pound UK retail shell egg industry from August 2007 to August 2008. The UK winner who received Good Egg Awards are as follows: Birkbeck, University of London, John Lewis BBC, Little Chef Booths, Midlothian District Council British Library, New Forest District Council Bristol Zoo, Orange Loupe Group (includes Cargo, Camino and Big Chill restaurants) Oxford Brookes University Premier Bakeries Channel 4, Quakers Friends House Debenhams, Quorn (Premier Foods) Derbyshire County Council, Royal Brompton Hospital East Ayrshire Council, Royal Marsden Hospital, London Farnborough Sixth Form College, Starbucks Coffee Company UK Fox's Biscuits (Northern Foods), Thamesbrook Nursing and Residential Harbour & Jones Ltd (supplies Channel 5, Home St.Paul's Cathedral, Royal Society and RADA, Tossed Havant Borough Council, University of Sussex Higgidy Pies, University of Winchester Imperial College, Virgin Trains Isle of Wight District Council, Walkers, Shortbread Ltd Compassion in World Farming's chief executive, Philip Lymbery said: "Our spread of winners this year really demonstrates that the European food industry is taking this issue seriously. "We've got companies from all sectors making a move to cage-free eggs, including the catering operations of public bodies, hospitals and universities. They are clearly responding to what they think consumers want and are doing what's best for the future of their business."