Noble Foods has unveiled a new creative direction for its speciality free-range brand, Freshlay, according to a company-issued press release.

Freshlay Farms will launch on December 11, 2023 into Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Co-op with newly packaged Golden Yolker eggs, renowned for their deep, rich yolks. The packs of six and ten free-range eggs replace the former ‘Freshlay Golden Yolks’ brand – which saw retail sales increase 123% in the past year for Noble Foods, the UK’s leading egg producer.

Freshlay Farms, which has seen an 84% increase in value share in the free-range market year-on-year, is striking out with key differentiators for its taste credentials, which have quickly become a defining feature for the brand. This year alone, the Golden Yolker eggs have been awarded with a Great Taste award, a Great British Food Gold award and a Quality Food Silver award.

By emphasising the remarkable flavour profile of its eggs, Freshlay Farms aims to create a lasting bond with consumers, fostering loyalty and driving further growth for the brand.

Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker targets the affluent indulger, looking for a premium, but accessible, great tasting egg. Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker has created multiple recipes that are tailored to challenge the average "foodie" but also offer simplicity, ensuring they can be effortlessly recreated at home. Beyond elevating everyday experiences, Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker is also thoughtfully designed to target key occasions, such as Mother's Day, enhancing special moments with its distinct quality and taste.

Expanding on the gastronomic theme, Freshlay Farms has announced two partnerships in the coming year. The brand is partnering with Great British Chefs to create exclusive recipe content with three breakthrough chefs: Anna Søgaard of ‘Bistro Freddie’; Richard Bainbridge of ‘Benedicts’ and Jozef Rogulski of ‘The Game Bird’. In addition to recipe and food content, the brand will be advertising and collaborating with Great British Chefs on social media.

The second partnership for Freshlay Farms is with BBC Good Food, where the richly coloured eggs will be used in exclusive recipe content for the magazine’s popular social channels and recipe pages – excitingly Freshlay Farms will be the first brand to feature on BBC Good Food’s TikTok channel.

“Freshlay has achieved phenomenal success by effectively driving trade-up and adding substantial value to the free-range category. Recent reports have shown us an achievement of 40% switching gains from private label”, said Anita Nutchey, Marketing Manager at Noble Foods. “However, the advantage of Freshlay Farms is our ability to offer a great looking and even better tasting egg, with a luxurious feel at a more accessible level."

Distribution increases have played a pivotal role in Freshlay Farms’ journey, contributing significantly to the surge in volume sales and enhanced market penetration. By expanding its reach and availability, Freshlay has not only secured a larger consumer base but has also reinforced its position as an industry frontrunner. Freshlay Farms’ achievements and growth have all been realised without substantial advertising and promotion investment, and in the absence of a clear-cut brand proposition.

The redesign has been spearheaded by the design agency Brandon. In addition to defining the brand’s role and enhancing on-shelf standout, Brandon has worked to create a new set of ownable assets.

"Our aim was to craft a unique identity for Freshlay Farms using a brand-driven and distinctive visual style, providing a fresh perspective in a cluttered category. The design focused on highlighting the stars of the plate—those famous golden yolks— and creating packaging that is not just recognisable but also radiates accessible luxury. This approach effortlessly establishes Freshlay Farms as a category-defining icon at shelf and paves way for further brand growth," said Katie Rowley, design director at Brandon.

As part of the brand’s new look, the tagline ‘Exclusively sourced from our trusted family of farms’ has also been incorporated into designs and packaging.

Looking ahead, Noble Foods has identified an unexplored branded gap within the specialty market for Freshlay Farms. This presents a high-value opportunity for the brand to establish itself as a dominant player in the segment, catering to discerning consumers seeking exceptional taste and quality.