CELEBRATING 40 YEARS: HOW NEW ANTHONEY’S CHANGED SRI LANKA’S POULTRY INDUSTRY

In 1986, when Chairman Emil Stanley and his wife, Directress Ms. S. M. D. Marie Seetha Lakshmee, started a poultry farm in Hanwella with just 1,000 birds and a manual production facility, they had a simple dream: to provide quality, healthier chicken to families in their community. What began as a small operation focused on giving local families better meals would eventually evolve into something far more significant.

Forty years later, New Anthoney's Farms stands as Sri Lanka's only producer of 100pct antibiotic-free chicken. What began with their commitment to serving families has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem demonstrating unmatched capability: the flagship HarithaHari range, value-added products including Crizzpys and Frenchys, retail chain Meatlery, free islandwide delivery through Dorakadapaliya, and most recently, a significant expansion introducing the premium Chicken Havens line.

The Philosophy: Family Well-Being Above All

"Starting with 1,000 birds and a conviction that there had to be a better way to serve families, we've created Sri Lanka's model for sustainable poultry production," reflects Chairman Emil Stanley. "Our achievements represent contributions to national food security and public health that will benefit generations to come." As Emil Stanley and Marie Seetha Lakshmee grew their business and deepened their understanding of poultry farming, they began questioning industry practices. Their evolving vision: create an environment where chickens thrived naturally, producing truly healthy meals for families.

"After 40 years of evolution and learning, Sri Lanka is now moving towards the same health-focused philosophy we eventually championed," reflecting how the founders' journey led them to conclusions the industry is only now reaching.

A Leader Who Leads by Example

Despite building an industry-leading enterprise, Chairman Emil Stanley remains remarkably hands-on. He can still be found on the farm floors, in the processing plants, and alongside his team, understanding every aspect of the operation firsthand. This isn't the leadership style of a distant chairman but of someone who believes that true excellence comes from knowing your business intimately. His humility has created a culture where every employee feels valued and heard.

What began with a handful of employees in 1986 has expanded into a workforce of hundreds, providing stable livelihoods and career development. Emil Stanley and his wife have always viewed their employees as extended family, investing in their welfare and futures. For Emil Stanley, business success has always been inseparable from social responsibility, building not just a company, but uplifting the communities that helped build it.

A Founder's Journey: Building Piece by Piece

"We wanted to give families better chicken, produced with care," recalls Chairman Emil Stanley. "It wasn't about grand plans initially. It was about doing right by the families who trusted us."

That commitment to their customers drove every decision. Emil and his wife Marie began by expanding their farm operations, listening closely to what families needed. They built processing facilities to ensure quality at every step. Cold storage rooms were added to maintain freshness. "Marie and I realized that if we wanted to give families truly healthy chicken, we had to control what went into raising them," says Emil Stanley. This understanding led them to establish feed operations—beginning a journey of complete oversight to better serve their customers.

Emil and Marie’s hands-on approach, always keeping their customers at heart, shaped every milestone as they evolved alongside changing needs. They invested in biosecurity with close-house facilities. Semi-automated and then fully automated plants were built to scale production while maintaining quality. Feed mills ensured complete control over nutrition. Breeding and hatchery operations guaranteed genetic quality. Waste management plants demonstrated their commitment to sustainability. Water treatment facilities reflected their dedication to environmental responsibility. Each expansion was driven by their desire to serve customers better, building infrastructure piece by piece to deliver on their promise of healthier chicken for every family.

The Evolution Toward Antibiotic-Free

The journey to antibiotic-free production wasn't where they started. It was where their commitment naturally led them. "As we learned more, we became increasingly concerned about what antibiotics meant for families eating our chicken," Chairman Emil Stanley explains. "Marie and I started asking: if these birds need constant medication, are we really giving families the healthy meals we set out to provide?"

Globally, livestock production contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a crisis the WHO estimates could cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. In Sri Lanka, resistance levels reached 100pct for commonly used antibiotics.

"The main challenge has been the antibiotic industry itself," reflects Emil Stanley. "They promote the misconception that broilers raised with antibiotics are healthier. But Marie and I decided: we could do better."

Going completely antibiotic-free required specialized farming, stringent biosecurity, and in-house nutritionists and veterinarians. "Everyone said it was too expensive, that we'd fail," says Chairman Emil Stanley. "But we weren't willing to compromise." Rather than pass costs to consumers, they absorbed them.

Innovation Born from a Founder's Vision

In 2019, Anthoney's inaugurated export operations. Last year, this earned recognition as Best Exporter at the 26th Presidential Export Awards. Listening to their customers’ needs, they launched Dorakadapaliya free home delivery in 2020, bringing quality chicken directly to families’ doorsteps. They also introduced Crizzpys, Sri Lanka's first ready-to-eat frozen crispy chicken, making convenient, healthy meals more accessible to busy families.

In 2021, they built a further processing plant and introduced Spicydicy. 2022 saw Anthoney's Meatlery pioneering the luxury meat supermarket space. The 2023 acquisition of Gold Coin Feed Mills completed a thirty-year circle. "From that first feed agency to owning the mill took three decades," reflects the Chairman. "Now we control every touchpoint from hatchery to household."

The latest chapter came in November 2025 with a significant expansion introducing Chicken Havens, a premium eight-product range for the HORECA sector. "This investment represents our capability to serve professional kitchens at scale while maintaining the quality standards Marie and I established forty years ago," says Emil Stanley, with plans to scale dramatically within six months.

Setting Global Benchmarks

Emil Stanley's commitment pushed New Anthoney's to become the first Sri Lankan poultry producer to obtain FSSC 22000 certification and the only one holding a Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement under ISO 14064-1:2018 standards. Additional certifications include HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000, and Halal accreditations.

Most notably, it's the first company in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to adopt the "Fed with Sustainable U.S. Soy" logo, adheres to National Chicken Council of USA animal welfare standards, and was first to adopt 100pct compostable, plant-based packaging for HarithaHari.

A Founder's Mission: Advocacy for Public Health

"When Marie and I learned about antimicrobial resistance, we realized our responsibility went beyond just producing antibiotic-free chicken," says Chairman Emil Stanley. "We had proven it was possible. Now we needed to show others why it was necessary."

During World AMR Awareness Week 2025, Emil Stanley personally hosted a forum at Waters Edge Colombo with the Ministry of Health. "I shared our forty-year journey—the challenges, the costs, the commitment," he recalls. "Every family in Sri Lanka deserves to know what's in their food."

The founder's advocacy extends to schools and universities. "I often speak to students myself," says Emil Stanley. "These young people will shape Sri Lanka's future." The company runs internal employee programs on antibiotic stewardship.

New Anthoney's has pledged to make World AMR Awareness Week annual. "Each November, we'll host symposiums and awareness campaigns," says Emil Stanley. "As Sri Lanka's only 100% antibiotic-free poultry producer, Marie and I feel responsible to lead this conversation. We want to mentor other producers, educate consumers, and influence policy."

Looking Ahead: A Founder's Promise

"Our 40-year journey isn't measured in kilos produced or markets reached," says Chairman Emil Stanley. "It's measured in the trust Sri Lankan families place in us."

Chicken Havens represents the couple's largest commitment yet. "But it won't be our last," promises Chairman Emil Stanley. "We have aggressive expansion plans. Every initiative reinforces the same principle: Sri Lankan consumers deserve the safest, highest-quality poultry."

As New Anthoney's enters its fifth decade, the company Emil Stanley and Marie Seetha Lakshmee built from 1,000 birds has become the industry benchmark. "When we started in 1986, we just wanted to give families healthier meals," reflects Chairman Emil Stanley. "Forty years later, that simple goal has grown into a movement, a standard, a promise to every Sri Lankan family."

The legacy of Chairman Emil Stanley and Directress Marie Seetha Lakshmee is written in every antibiotic-free chicken that reaches a Sri Lankan family's table, a legacy that will nourish generations to come.