Antrim poultry farm pulls out of ‘race to the bottom for cheap food’ and opts for Slow Farming

Seaview Farm is one of the first regenerative poultry farms in Northern Ireland.

Initially launched in 2021, the Co Antrim farm has set itself apart from other mass poultry producers, offering a superior quality of chicken that is ethically-sourced and produced in an environmentally-friendly way.

Seaview Farms aligns with the ethos of “slow farming”, their chickens spend the majority of their day outdoors, and are slaughtered at four times the age of typically poultry farm chickens. They have also committed to a promise of no fillers, bulkers, preservatives, or binders and have perfected the process for the “perfect pasture raised chicken”.

A race to the bottom for cheap food

In his initial venture into poultry farming, Shay soon realised that there was a major “race to the bottom for cheap food” which often forced the hand of local farmers to supply more at a cheaper price.

Shay O’Neill, co-owner of Seaview Farms, explained: “For the farming industry in the UK and Ireland, there is a race to the bottom for cheap food, which is a detriment not only to the consumer, the environment and to the animals – but to the farmer as well in that they struggle to make a decent living off the land. Consumers are now demanding a high quality, nutrient dense chicken product, our goal is to make it as easy for them as possible to access it.”

Seaview Farms is turning the tide on mass produced poultry farming, bringing it back to a local scale that supports farmers, grows the Northern Ireland economy and ultimately, provides a healthier, tastier and more nourishing chicken product.

Seaview Farms now sells real pasture-raised chicken products directly to the consumer via their website, and to high-quality local restaurants that have a preference for a superior quality of chicken.