Duck eggs take to water in shipping line contract

Duck egg producer Watercress Lane has won a prestigious new contract to supply leading cruise line P&O with eggs for its fleet of ships.

The deal has been put together by fine-food wholesaler Kentas of London and will involve Watercress Lane supplying 20 dozen of its duck eggs to each P&O ship, including the Arcadia and the Artemis.

“Duck eggs were already on the menu for passengers on P&O’s Cruises, but the original supplier got into difficulties and was unable to guarantee supply,” said Kentas of London managing director, Joe McGinty. “We were recommended Watercress Lane because of its Blue Duck guarantee of exceptionally high standards and because they have the capability to provide duck eggs of a consistent quality and freshness throughout the year.”

Watercress Lane, which produces over seven-and-a-half million duck eggs a year under its Blue Duck brand, also pointed to the full traceability of its branded eggs, and said the deal with P&O reflected a growing interest in duck eggs as an alternative to the everyday hen eggs.

The company is based at the Burwell Hatchery near Norwich in Norfolk, where it breeds and farms Pekin ducks in barns in accordance with the RSPCA’s Freedom Food code of conduct for hatcheries.