Christmas Appeal: Thousands of eggs donated to Tauranga foodbank

Heyden Farms shareholder Paul Van Der Heyden. Photo / George Novak

The Easter bunny has some serious competition after Heyden Farms donated nearly 5000 eggs to the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

The first donation was soon after the Bay of Plenty Times annual six-week Christmas Appeal, in partnership with Gilmours Wholesale Food and Beverage Tauriko, kicked off last month.

A total of 200 dozen (2400) eggs was donated.

Last week, they did it again with the egg-xact same amount, bringing the grand total of eggs donated to 4800.

Major shareholder Peter Heyden said they had a surplus of eggs from their new farm in the Waikato region, and sending the eggs straight to the foodbank for those in need was a no-brainer.

Heyden contacted the foodbank team in mid-November, asking if they would like some free eggs. Within 24 hours, 165 dozen (1980) eggs were dropped off.

Heyden Farms shareholder Paul Van Der Heyden. Photo / George Novak

"It was a very pleasant surprise," the foodbank's warehouse manager Brendon Collins said.

The delivery meant clients would get more eggs in their parcels.

The number of extra eggs in each parcel usually depends on how many eggs were given and the lifespan of the egg.

Parcels after the first drop were treated to double the standard number of eggs of three per person.

While extra eggs might not seem like much to some, for recipients it meant extra protein plus more variations in the meals that could be made.

Generous egg donations were something the foodbank experienced with Te Puna's Braemar Poultry Farm, which has been supplying eggs for years at "rock-bottom prices".

Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said the "amazing" prices meant they were able to increase the number of eggs in the food parcels.

They went a step further during the lockdown and donated a large number of eggs - greatly appreciated by the foodbank, which had experienced unprecedented demand.