Solar eggs on a winner

The North Plympton egg producer has recently scored deals - particularly in the supply of free-range eggs - to large companies such as Woolworths, Romeo Retail Group, and urban Asian street food retailer Bing Boy.

The most recent deal will enable it to supply free-range eggs to all Bing Boy Adelaide and Melbourne stores - 30 in total.

With some stores using an average 1000 free-range eggs every week, the agreement equates to more than 1.5 million eggs annually.

Bing Boy managing director Ming Ma said the company decided to transition exclusively from cage eggs to free-range eggs, after feedback from customers.

"The company initially sourced eggs from a range of suppliers, but have settled exclusively on Solar Eggs to ensure a consistent supply," he said.

"We're surprised that more food retailers in Australia haven't made the switch to free-range eggs, and until they do, it provides us with a key point of difference for our customers who prefer free-range eggs rather than the cage variety."

Bing Boy first introduced its Chinese-style wraps known as "bings" to the Australian market in 2011.

There are 33 stores in Australia, including 12 in SA, 18 in Vic and three in Qld, with plans to expand.

Solar Eggs managing director Jonathan Attard said the Bing Boy agreement was an enormous boost for the company.

"As a proud third-generation family business, we're always looking at ways to expand the business, so to secure a major supply agreement with Bing Boy is really significant for us," he said.

The Solar Eggs business was established in 1972, when John Attard (Jonathan's father) took over from company founder Jim Attard (Jonathon's grandfather).

The company has since expanded through investment of more than $3m in new sheds, increasing staff levels to more than 30 and running a fleet of cars and trucks.

It now consists of eight farms (three owned by Solar, with the rest contracted) across SA from Lobethal to McLaren Vale, Sandy Creek, Bute and Paringa, producing about 35m eggs annually.

Most of the farms are free-range, with the rest converting to either free-range or cage-free.

The company owns four brands - Barossa eggs, Adelaide eggs, Gourmet Breakfast and Hens on the Range - with a fifth brand Freedom Island (eggs from Kangaroo Island) on the horizon.

And the Bing Boy deal is not the only supply deal the company is involved in.

The Solar Eggs head office at North Plympton was also expanded with the purchase of an adjoining property. It was developed to include a commercial kitchen and contemporary facilities for the team.

This has enabled the company to diversify into new lines, which have included a Gourmet Breakfast brand launched in 2004, that now retails across SA in independent supermarkets, Foodland, BP On the Run and specialty stores.