2023 Memorable Moments
President's Blog
President, Burnbrae Farms
4th Generation Farmer
As I look back and reflect on 2023, I’m extremely proud of how hard everyone at Burnbrae Farms continues to work to support our customers and to help keep eggs moving across our great country. For more than 130 years, along with my family and the Burnbrae Farms team, I have always focused on giving back to communities, sustainability, and proudly working to provide Canadians with safe, accessible, and nutritious eggs.
Giving back has always been part of our values and culture as a family and as a business. This year, we donated more than 1 million eggs and egg products to a number of food banks and other organizations in need across the Country. We also continue to support several charities including World Vision Canada, Parkinson’s Superwalk, Swim Drink Fish, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Children’s Breakfast Club, Toonies for Tummies and many charitable organizations and worthy initiatives in our local communities.
It is also particularly rewarding when our efforts are recognized. 2023 was a noteworthy year for us on the award front and we are very humbled yet proud of the recognition we’ve received. I thought that I would kick off 2024 with an overview of those accolades.
In the spring, we were honoured to be named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies once again. Established in 1993, Canada’s Best Managed Companies is the country’s leading business awards program, recognizing excellence in Canadian-owned companies.
Around the same time, our EGG Bites! 5 Cheese were also named a Best New Product in Canada by BrandSpark International. EGG Bites! are delicious bite sized quiches, packed with protein and ready in seconds. You can find our EGG Bites in the breakfast freezer aisle of your local grocery store, along with our new EGG Bites! Cheese & Bacon flavour launched this past fall.
In June, I had the incredible honour of receiving an Honorary Diploma from St. Lawrence College in my hometown of Brockville, Ontario. I hope that I can serve as an example and inspiration for the students and graduates of the college.
In July, we celebrated our second annual Burnbrae Farms Employee Appreciation Day. Thank you once again to all Burnbrae Farms employees across the country for the enthusiasm and commitment you bring to work each and every day. Thank you for doing your bit, and for supporting each other, your communities, and Canadian families. I look forward to continuing this celebration for years to come.
Additionally, in August, we were honoured to be named one of this year’s Canadian Grocer Magazine 2023 Impact Award winners in the Community Service category . Here at Burnbrae Farms, giving back to communities is one of our core values and a foundation of our culture. From collecting food during our annual food drive to cleaning up shorelines, our employees help to bring the true meaning of community spirit to life.
In September, we held our first Burnbrae Farms Foundation Dinner on the Farm. We hosted a wide array of community and corporate colleagues and friends on a beautiful evening under the stars. Thank you to all our sponsors and guests for your incredible support. We couldn’t have organized it without the help of key members of the organizing committee, including Burnbrae colleagues Sonya Fiorini, Amanda McHugh, Beth Plumstead and our Foundation co-chairs, my sisters, Helen Anne Hudson and Mary Jean McFall.
In September, I also attended Canadian Grocer's Star Women in Grocery ceremony in celebration of 57 women who have demonstrated expertise, vision and leadership in the Canadian grocery business. We proudly celebrated the great achievements of all the remarkable award recipients including our very own Sonya Fiorini, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Investment at Burnbrae Farms and Executive Director, Burnbrae Farms Foundation. I’m so proud to have many inspiring women, including Sonya, on our team, who contribute to a better company, a better industry, and a better world.
Speaking of inspiring women, I’m extremely proud that Burnbrae Farms is certified as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) . Canadian businesses that are at least 51 per cent owned and managed by women are eligible to be WBE Canada certified. Generations of the Hudson family have been inspired by influential matriarchal women who were well educated, community minded, and strong role models. The 4th generation of the Hudson family is proud to carry on their legacy and are honoured to be accredited by WBE Canada .
In November, Family Business Magazine named the CEOs to Watch Class of 2023 , recognizing 23 exceptional business leaders across the globe. I was honoured to be named on this year’s list.
Before I move on, I want to take a moment to send a big congratulations to my father, Burnbrae Farms' co-founder Joe Hudson, on receiving 2 prestigious awards this year: a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Brockville & District Chamber Of Commerce and the Bill Thake Memorial Award for Economic Development Leadership at the Leeds Grenville 15th Anniversary Economic Development Summit in November. I want to thank my father for his commitment to his family, community, industry and Burnbrae Farms.
I also want to congratulate my brother-in-law, Ian McFall, Executive Vice President at Burnbrae Farms on receiving the Chair’s Award from the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council this year for his outstanding contribution as Chair over the last two years.
Furthermore, Burnbrae Farms is very proud to be selected as the #1 Most Trusted Egg Brand in Canada for the 5 th year in a row. The BrandSpark Most Trusted Award (BMTA) offers insight into which companies Canadian consumers trust the most across 262 categories. The awards were created to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions, encourage excellence, and help brands identify themselves as leaders in their respective categories. Over 25,000 Canadian shoppers voted for the BrandSpark Most Trusted Award Winners for 2024 . We are so proud to have received this prestigious recognition from BrandSpark on behalf of our loyal consumers.
And we are also so proud to have launched our 100% solar powered eggs this year to Canadians. We pride ourselves on providing consumers with choice and providing consumers with a variety of eggs from all different types of housing systems and with enhanced nutritional benefits, so you can select the eggs best suited to you and your family. Our 100% solar powered eggs are produced using 100% clean energy from our solar powered farm and are available in 2 varieties: Solar Free Range and Omega Plus Solar Free Range . Find them in the eggs section of your local grocery store.
And after many months of hard work and determination this year, I’m thrilled with the work we did to launch our national consumer masterbrand campaign ‘ A lot goes into a little ’. Guided by a mission to provide nutritious, great tasting eggs and egg products, we’re ready for Canadians to know that each and every egg reflects a commitment to excellence, sustainability, and compassion.
Lastly, we are extremely proud to have released our 2 nd public sustainability report this past April. Here at Burnbrae Farms, we’re working together for a sustainable future. Our company is committed to doing its part in protecting and investing in the planet. One of the ways we plan to do that is by achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Our commitment is and will always be, to continue to provide Canadians with nutritious, accessible eggs for years to come. Read our Sustainability Report and learn more about our Sustainability efforts today and in the future.
Our journey and commitment to transitioning our hens from conventional housing continues. In 2023, we built two free run barns and a free run pullet barn in Manitoba, two additional free run barns were built in 2022 for a total of 5 supporting the transition. We, along with all Canadian egg farmers, are on pace to achieve this important goal by 2036 .
I’d like to sign off by saying that we are so grateful to the various organizations and companies that have honoured us with these awards. We are also immensely proud of our teams across the country that work tirelessly to support the values that are so important to each of us.
Margaret Hudson
President & CEO, Burnbrae Farms