OUR ANIMALS
FROM BEES TO BELTIES
We take great pride in our animals, rearing traditionally and to the very highest standards. They mature slowly on a grass fed diet, which we believe reflects in the quality and taste of our meat. Outdoor bred and fed means our meat is of the finest quality.
We have a beautiful flock of chickens and ducks that produce the most delicious eggs. Our bee hives are developing nicely too, so we hope to have our first harvest of succulent, golden honey in the not too distant future.
BEAUTIFUL
Bees
We have kept bees on the farm since 2023 after we were kindly gifted a swarm by my beekeeping mentor David. It made perfect sense to keep bees – with the orchard, kitchen garden, polytunnel and wild flowers within easy reach and we know that without bees 70% of plants would not be pollinated. What we have found is, once you overcome your fear, bees are the most amazing inquisitive and gentle creatures. Their structured lives are incredible, each hive will be populated by well over 10,000 bees.
We harvest our honey, leaving enough for the bees to happily over-winter, and the honey we do take is extracted and bottled raw with no adding of sugar or heat to pasteurise the honey. Whilst we cannot dictate where they fly what we do know is that all our land and that of our neighbours is rarely if ever sprayed with pesticide. We are confident that you will enjoy the incredible flavours within our honey which vary with every harvest.
RYELAND SHEEP
The Ryeland is one of the oldest British sheep breeds with a history of producing excellent wool and meat.
We pride ourselves on producing 100% grass fed hogget. Hogget is a lamb which has aged between 1-2 years, they mature slowly which gives a richer fuller flavour and is a traditional British meat which is both sustainable and nutritious. The meat is still tender and the extra time spent on pasture allows it to develop a flavour that is both richer and fuller, together with a wonderful sweetness.
BRITISH SADDLEBACK PIGS
The British Saddleback is distinctive with its black body and white belt.
Our pigs are outdoor reared, meaning they live outside for their entire lives. We rear them slowly, they live an active life rooting and wallowing as pigs should. Our pork has an amazing rich flavour and texture. The meat is wonderfully sweet with a generous covering of fat which when cooked further enhances the flavour and produces the most amazing crispy crackling.
BEAUTIFUL BELTIE'S
BELTED GALLOWAY CATTLE
‘Beltie’s’ as they are affectionately known are one of the most visually distinctive breeds of cattle, its many merits lie not only in its unique appearance and good nature, but it is renowned for its succulent and tender beef. Originating in the harsh upland climate of the Galloway hills in beautiful south west Scotland they are well-equipped to thrive outdoors in any climate. This remarkable animal is slow to mature, which means its beef has a special flavour and texture which is the envy of many other breeds.
They graze our fields every day of the year, encouraging wild flower growth and producing delicious, healthy marbled meat.
