Mexicali Fresh Sets One Million Chickens Free

Mexicali Fresh Sets One Million Chickens Free

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 13 December 2016

Mexicali Fresh’s 18 restaurants around the country have just completed the switch to free range chicken for all their recipes.

That’s almost one million more chooks - or 75,000 kilograms of chicken - being freed every year; a significant amount in a country obsessed with the bird.

New Zealand has one of the world’s highest rates of consumption of chicken, with more than 100 million killed every year.

Mexicali Fresh founder-brothers Tyler and Conor Kerlin say it’s never been easier to switch to free range, and hope all New Zealand restaurants join the move.

In fact, they promise to shout a free range chicken burrito to any other restaurateur willing to make the switch.

“Everyone knows caged chicken sucks,” explains Conor.

“Tyler and I have been wanting to make the switch for a long time but it wasn’t that easy to make it happen with the colossal volumes we go through. We’re the biggest Mexican restaurant group in New Zealand so if we can do it, anyone can. In fact; we’re saying everyone should.”

Free range chicken will cost the group around 20% more than caged chicken.

The highly competitive hospitality business works on tight margins but Tyler says switching was simply the right thing to do.

“It’s a big risk to do this but we feel that our customers will appreciate it and come on board to support or vision of offering healthy, sustainable, and ethical food.”

“Basically, for us it comes down to understanding that there’s more to business than just the bottom line. We’re a family business that cares about doing what’s right for this world to try and leave it better than how we found it. We owe it to our children and future generations.”

“Chickens should be treated humanely, free to roam, and live a good life. Anyone who’s seen caged chickens will know it’s no way for them to live,” adds Conor.

Mexicali Fresh restaurants collectively go through 75,000 kilograms of chicken every single year, so making the switch to free range is a significant investment, but it’s just a part of the company’s continued push for better business.

It began using fully compostable containers last year and is in the process of switching all its pork to free range organic.

Mexicali Fresh is also beginning the process of becoming accredited with Conscious Consumers; an ethical business certification organisation which also tracks the environmental and social issues customers are most concerned about.

“From that, we’ve seen that Mexicali Fresh customers are on board and really care about animal welfare. I think this is part of a bigger collective consciousness in New Zealand that treating animals the way we have been is not cool, and it’s not okay,” says Conscious Consumers founder and CEO Ben Gleisner.

And righting the wrong of how chickens have been mistreated is simple.

“Once we crunched the numbers, worked out the logistics, and made the decision, the switch to free range has been easy and straightforward,” says Conor Kerlin.

“We basically just pushed our supplier and stressed that we wanted to switch and they’ve made it happen. That’s why there’s really no excuse any more for other restaurants around the country to not go free range. Now we just need a really big player like Macca’s to join us and do the right thing for the chooks.

“Come share a free range chicken burrito on us if you’re keen to make the switch. It’s time New Zealand freed the chickens nationwide.”

ENDS

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