Meat

 We generally have beef available a couple of times a year and lamb three times. Because of the costs of transporting animals across the String to Kirkwall we have to send them in batches. May I suggest that if you are interested in purchasing either the beef or lamb that you contact me so that I can let you know when there will be some available and I can also let you know the prices. We ship the meat south using Parcelforce 24. The meat is vacuum packed and shipped in polystyrene boxes- they make great seed trays afterwards, or so Dad says. For  further details about the beef and lamb please read on

In case you are wondering how eating meat from rare breeds actually helps preserve those breeds then let me explain. Basically something has to be done with the surplus males who after all form at least 50% of the calf or lamb crop. When one male can ensure reproduction in say 20 females you can see how the surplus situation can arise. It is by eating the surplus and therefore removing them from the fields that is allowing us to carry on breeding with the hope that others become interested in keeping the breed and so buy females from us once we have reached the herd and flock numbers sustainable here. This in turn increases the overall breed numbers and improves the geographical spread of the breed.   

 Beef

The beef is delicious, the only problem being is that it puts you off eating any other beef, so be warned! According to the wwoofers we have had stay even the mince is the best they’ve tasted. The steers are kept until they are 26-29 months old. They are killed out on mainland Orkney at Orkney Meat and then the meat is hung for 14 days. ER&T Craigie then butcher and pack the meat for us. I collect the parcels and take them to the Post Office for shipment by Parcelforce 24.  The meat is available in mixed quarters or mixed eighths. For folk not used to buying meat this way, I will explain! The carcass is first cut in half length ways prior to being hung. It is split into quarters- fore and hind- when Craigies start to process it. A mixed quarter means exactly that: meat is allocated from the hind and the fore quarter so that in a mixed quarter there is meat from every bit of the beast. A mixed eighth is obviously half a mixed quarter. The total quantity of meat in a mixed quarter or mixed eighth depends on the size of the original animal. In the eighth there would be 17-21 kg of wonderful beef. To give you an idea as what that sort of quantity looks like - it fits into a box 2ft long by 15" wide by 9" deep. If 20 kg seems a lot why not join forces with work colleagues, family or neighbours? Remember grass fed beef such as ours is high in those omega 3 fatty acids which are good for us. Beef is generally available in May/June and again October/November.

Lamb

 The lamb is slow grow and extensively reared with no need for the vaccinations and wormers more intensively reared lambs require. The animals are not killed out until they are at least 18 months of age with some being kept on until they are 24/26 months old.. We keep them for longer to enable them to grow on. It means that the meat is  far less greasy and more flavoursome than conventional lamb. Must admit I had not eaten lamb for over 10 years before we started having our own because I did not like how greasy young lamb can be. Orkney Meat and Craigies are again involved. This time we sell it either as half lambs or whole lamb- the weight of meat in a whole lamb would be 15-20 kg. A whole lamb costs £80 to £100 depending on the actual weight. If you would like the lamb to be butchered by your own butcher then it would be possible to ship the half lambs "whole" so to speak. 

 Payment

 For mail and Internet orders  payment  is possible by credit card via Paypal

Tips from the Farmhouse Kitchen

Now those of you reading this who know me don't have hysterics! Just thought I would pass on the ways that I cook this glorious meat.