Manchester Farms grows from a backyard hobby to a national supplier of quail meat

Quail offers foodservice operators low cost while offering diners high perceived value.

By Fred Wilkinson, Chief Editor, The National Provisioner

Matt Miller, Manchester Farms’ purchasing director, and Brittney Miller, owner of Manchester Farms posing outside, a red barn is in the background. — Photo courtesy Manchester Farms

Matt Miller, Manchester Farms’ purchasing director, and Brittney Miller, owner of Manchester Farms.

Manchester Farms is a second-generation quail farm in Columbia, S.C., that traces its roots to a hobby in the backyard that has grown to become a national supplier of quail meat and quail eggs for retail and foodservice customers.

"We are vertically integrated, owning our own farms, hatchery, breeders and layers, and processing facility," said Brittney Miller, owner of Manchester Farms. "We have been SQF certified for almost 20 years. We operate under USDA, FDA and South Carolina state inspection."

Manchester Farms’ operation employs 100 staffers, and recent annual sales totaled more than 2 million quail and nearly 48 million quail eggs, Miller said.

Manchester Farms’ quail meat products are sold through foodservice and retail distribution as well as online, Miller said, adding that egg sales are mostly for retail with some online sales.

"It’s growing everyday but still a small part of our sales mix," Miller said regarding Manchester Farms’ e-commerce sales.

Products available through Manchester Farms' website include:

quail gift packs
Bacon-Wrapped Quail Appetizers
buying quail by the case.

Miller said quail eggs are Manchester Farms’ leading product, with their semi-boneless quail and retail quail next in line.

"Another top favorite is our Bacon Wrapped Quail Appetizers," she said.

Bacon Wrapped Quail legs on a serving plate served with a dip. — Bacon Wrapped Quail legs are one of Manchester Farms’ top-selling value-added products. *Photo courtesy Manchester Farms*

The quail consumer for a long time was hunters and ethnic communities, Miller said, but in the past 10 years it’s now home chefs and health-conscious consumers flocking to quail.

"On the egg side, we appeal to the health-conscious, foodies, seniors, children -- and a lot of our eggs are eaten by pets," Miller said. "Quail eggs are the ‘superfood egg’ and are incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals. Quail eggs, we’ve been told, help with cholesterol, diabetes, vision and allergies, including allergies with dogs."

Manchester Farms’ quail products are shipped in a variety of packaging styles for retail and foodservice customers.

"We vacuum seal our quail to maintain freshness of the meat," Miller said. "Retail has a six-color printed folding carton around the quail pack. Foodservice is in a printed corrugated case."

Grilled quail on a white plate served on top of rice and vegetables. — Grilled quail *Photo courtesy Manchester Farms*

Manchester Farms’ brand engagement efforts focus on employing social media to share the Manchester Farms’ story.

"We have testimonials and influencers to help spread the gospel of the quail and quail eggs," Miller said.

Miller said the unique value proposition quail products offer consumers includes its nutritional profile, including being low in fat.

"We offer excitement to a consumer eager to try something new," she said. "Chefs love using our quail because their costs are low but the perceived value is high, and they can charge higher menu prices and make more margin. Repeat customers will travel to a restaurant just to have our quail."