Brittney Miller: Cracking the Quail Code

Brittney Miller is the President and second-generation owner of Manchester Farms, America’s oldest and largest quail farm, where she has helped transform her family’s South Carolina operation into a nationwide supplier of quail and quail eggs. A Clemson University graduate with a B.S. in Poultry Science, Miller grew up on the farm before building experience in animal health and fine dining, then returning home to take the reins of the family business. Today, she leads every facet of the operation, combining her poultry expertise, foodservice experience, and entrepreneurial approach to grow the specialty quail market while preserving her family’s agricultural legacy. This week, Brittney sits down with Jeff to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to scale an heirloom game bird farm from a small family operation into a $20 million commercial powerhouse. We dig into the realities of multi-generational succession, the challenges of commercial barn husbandry, and how Manchester Farms unlocked massive retail growth by distributing over 50 million quail eggs a year. Plus, Brittney shares practical culinary knowledge every chef and home cook needs—from the 3:1 baking ratio and the foolproof trick to peeling quail eggs, to why you need specialized scissors and what’s ahead for ready-to-eat sous-vide confit quail. Website: manchesterfarms.com Instagram: @manchesterquail TikTok: @manchesterquail Facebook: Manchester Farms Quail YouTube: @manchesterfarmsquail1102 Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Growing up on America’s oldest commercial quail farm 05:12 – The Campbell Soup job offer and walking away for hunting season 07:16 – Early days of Manchester Farms, trade shows, and distribution growth 10:15 – Clemson Poultry Science, corporate gigs, and the Vail ski club detour 13:37 – Navigating family business dynamics and stepping into sole ownership 17:50 – Scaling from $7M to $20M: Barn biology, risk tolerance, and agribusiness banking 22:25 – The Quail Egg explosion: Nutrition profile, Costco rollout, and heritage Pharaoh genetics 26:47 – The banana-peel trick and why you need quail egg scissors 30:49 – Kitchen applications: 3:1 baking ratio, deviled eggs, and Brittney’s pan-fried hack 34:36 – Kid food exploration, Jewel-Osco / Midwest retail distribution, and grocery buyer buy-in 40:15 – Innovation pipeline: Sous-vide duck fat confit quail and grilling tips 43:13 – Outro and closing thoughts Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/55qBuFe9dQh5jLLdg0KLoL?si=08455ef88e554b91 Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com Until next time, we’ll catch you on the sunny side! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy