Virginia Plant Receives Full USDA Licence

In November 2017, our processing plant in Crozet, Virginia, received a full slaughtering licence from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The federal approval meant KellyBronze turkeys processed at the facility could be marketed across the United States; previously, sales from the plant had been restricted to Virginia. The full licence followed provisional approval and extensive work to demonstrate that our traditional production process met US food-safety requirements. Unlike conventional wet processing, KellyBronze turkeys were dry-plucked and hung before evisceration. Paul Kelly said the approval process involved discussions with the USDA over how this method could operate within US regulations, while business partner Judd Culver worked extensively on securing the plant's federal status. At the time, industry reporting described the Crozet facility as the only US plant officially licensed to dry-pluck and hang turkeys in this way. The approval allowed us to retain the production method used for KellyBronze in Britain while moving beyond the Virginia-only market and selling across state lines. KellyBronze's company history records 2017 as the year the business received its federal USDA licence.