Norfolk Quail is a family business; we are dedicated to the welfare of all our poultry, the wellbeing of our staff, and the satisfaction of our customers.
The Savory family has been farming Highfield Farm for well over 100 years. It has always been a mixed farm of arable and livestock. Having moved away from beef farming in 1997 John Savory established J Savory Organic Eggs, which is a successful Soil Association Organic free range egg business supplying Waitrose nationwide and a number of local farm shops and other outlets in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Norfolk Quail is pleased to announce that we have become an accredited Conservation Grade™ licensee.
Norfolk Quail has joined Operation Turtle Dove to help pull back the turtle dove from the brink of extinction in Great Britain.
John graduated in Rural Estate Management at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester in 1993 and took the reins of the family business in the following year. John is ‘hands on’, overseeing all the daily and strategic operations within the arable business, undertaking the tractor driving, spraying, combining, purchasing and sales. John’s enthusiasm for improved farming techniques and technology to achieve high levels of efficiency has helped him to continue the family’s commitments to improved environmental and sustainable farming and Highfield Farm is run under Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship Scheme. His family has farmed at Highfield for over 120 years and one day he hopes that his son Guy may follow in his footsteps.
John founded J Savory Eggs in 1998 and quickly it became one of the largest Soil Association certified organic egg producers for Waitrose. Since 2016, John and Ellie have launched their own brand ‘Breckland Brown’ premium free range chicken eggs and now supply primarily to restaurants and smaller retail. John oversees, manages and plans all the poultry on the farm between the businesses, maintaining high standards of animal welfare throughout the breeding, rearing and end stage processes.
John, also a commissioned Officer in the RAF Reserves for several years before the children were born, still has a great interest in the military and often recalls his time spent at RAF Marham with great pride and enthusiasm.
Ellie and her husband John were the ones that had the brainwave resulting in Norfolk Quail. Watching over the business since it started with 20 Quail in a stable, Ellie now is primarily in charge of business planning and strategy, marketing and PR and the accounts.
A farmer’s daughter, Ellie too has a great interest in conservation and the countryside. It’s a real team effort and as husband and wife, John and Ellie take great pride in being able to work together full time, being able to draw on each other’s strengths to build a business with strong family foundations.
When not on the phone to customers or doing the paperwork, Ellie can often be found riding her beloved ex racehorse, Jennings, cycling or pounding the lanes in a bid to beat her previous personal best.
Family time is spent hacking the horses around the farm, inspecting Daddy’s crops and observing the plentiful wildlife and making sure the local rabbit and pigeon populations aren’t nibbling at them.
Guy is a keen sportsman and loves his farming. He is already running his own crop trialing scheme in his mother’s flowerbeds! Worryingly his spring beans are doing rather better than his fathers! Sadly poor Ellie’s flowers and vegetables are not doing quite so well!
Grace and Guy love their baking – especially banana bread made from the eggs on the farm. Farmers in the making they are experts already at packing eggs or birds for customers and counting out day old quail chicks. Guy can also regularly be seen cutting the grass or driving the RTV around with fencing repairs and bedding or feed supplies.
Polly started at Norfolk Quail in October 2016 coming to John and Ellie’s aid in helping to pack quail for the busy Christmas period. Polly quickly impress them with her talents, quite prepared to turn a hand to anything and in the New Year was taken on full time as Directors’ PA. Now involved in everything from posting invoices to the accounts system, contacting customers for orders, updating the website and designing new marketing to counting out chicks and setting staff rotas, Polly is an invaluable member of the team.
Having previously worked in the Thoroughbred industry, she comes from a farming background and says she loves life at Norfolk Quail. Helping out in the office as well as around the farm, life is never boring!
When not working Polly can either be found sketching new designs for her own business enterprise ‘Polly Baker Textiles’ or enjoying her horse, Desmond who has become a frequent visitor to Norfolk Quail and is always fascinated in watching the flocks of free range chickens from over the paddock fence.
Richard, a Master Butcher came to us in November 2016 as Production Supervisor after working at Papworth Butchers in Fakenham. Fiercely loyal he had been there ever since he had left school at 18, in total working there for 14 years gaining a great deal of valuable experience and greatly appreciated by everyone who knows him for his wonderful customer service.
Richard grew up on the Sandringham Estate where his father was a keeper. He loves his shooting and stalking, and although never admitting to it, he is a very good shot! Richard often helps John in controlling the large number of Roe deer around the farm, and everybody very much enjoys eating them too!
Dave started at Norfolk Quail in August 2015. Originally working on the farm with the Quail, Dave is now Richard’s right hand man, processing in the plant. Qualified with is HACCP Level 2 this year, he is a trusted member of the team, Dave can be totally relied upon, always with a smile on his face.
Dave enjoys going out for a meal with his wife Linda, who kindly helps us to label our Quail egg boxes.
Cooking is their other great love, trying out recipes in our new cookbook, as well as being our chief seller!
