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Briton Brings Centuries-Old Thanksgiving Tradition to America
17 Nov
Summary
- Family-owned KellyBronze turkeys from England expand to U.S. market
- Turkeys are dry-plucked and hung for 2-3 weeks, creating crispy skin
- KellyBronze aims for $80 million in annual revenue by 2028
As Thanksgiving 2025 approaches, a British family-owned turkey farm is making waves in the American market. KellyBronze, founded in 1971 in England, has been selling its premium $500 heirloom turkeys for two generations. Now, after a decade of breeding them in Virginia, the company is poised to gobble up a larger share of the U.S. Thanksgiving market.
In 2003, KellyBronze's owner, Paul Kelly, traveled to the U.S. to learn from experts in the country where turkey farming originated. However, he was "amazed" to find that no American farmers or butchers maintained the traditional dry-plucking and hanging techniques that set KellyBronze's birds apart.
Undeterred, Kelly purchased a 130-acre farm in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains and opened the first newly built turkey hatchery in the U.S. in years. KellyBronze now produces 4,600 turkeys in the U.S. annually, with plans to expand production and open additional hatcheries on the East and West coasts.
Despite the high price tag, KellyBronze's unique approach is resonating with American consumers. The company's revenue from the U.S. market is expected to grow from 4% to 25% within the next three years, with an ambitious goal of reaching $80 million in annual sales by 2028.
