HAMPSHIRE: Free range sales soar after documentary IT'S being dubbed the Jamie Oliver effect after the celebrity chef's campaign against battery farming sent sales of free-range chickens soaring in Hampshire.

The controversial Channel 4 documentary hosted by TV chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall and Jamie Oliver, pictured left and above, revealed shocking scenes from inside chicken farms of birds being electrocuted and crammed in cages starved of light and space.

Horrified, Hampshire viewers have been rushing to switch to ethically-reared alternatives, with supermarket giant Waitrose reporting sales up 25 per cent in the county since the broadcast.

But the boom has benefited farmers across Hampshire and not just the big chains.

Alex Hanford of Hampshire Farmers' Market said: "Traders have seen a significant increase in sales of free range chicken since the programme aired."

Toby Bowtell, who runs a farm shop in Alton and has a stall at Winchester Farmers' Market has, seen a 15 per cent increase in new customers since the programme.

He said: "We are now selling all the free range chicken we can produce. More people are coming in and buying chicken, there has been a definite knock-on effect at the market in Winchester since the programme.

"A lot of people don't really think about where a chicken comes from and go for the cheapest option and the programme showed people how it's all done."

Frances Westerman, poultry buyer for Waitrose, which has branches across Hampshire said: "We only sell higher welfare chickens at Waitrose and we have seen very strong sales following these campaigns. Since the programmes aired our free range chicken sales have grown by 25 per cent.

"We believe these strong sales show the importance consumers place on welfare and farming standards and welcome these campaigns.