Our farm
First-generation farmers, raising beef the right way.
Our farm on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset was recorded in the Domesday Book, but we're first-generation farmers — raising Angus & Hereford X and rare-breed Albion cattle on pasture and local grains, with a focus on welfare, sustainability and the quality of the beef that ends up on your plate.
The breed
We raise predominantly Angus and Hereford cattle from the dairy herd, as we believe they produce the foundations for high quality beef.
The pasture
Grazing the rolling Blackdown Hills, on traditional permanent pasture, and clover leys, our cattle are out grazing for as long as the weather allows.
Welfare
We work with local farms and source our stock for quality. They are raised in a low-stress environment with welfare at the forefront of everything we do. All our animals go to a local abbatoir seven miles away who do not do any halal slaughter.
We are based on the beautiful Blackdown Hills in Somerset.
Until two generations ago, our family were farmers in Somerset for hundreds of years, but our Great Grandfather gave up farming when he retired.
The farming gene didn't leave the family though, Andrew (my father) has always loved being on farms and over the last couple of decades had gradually built up a small Dexter herd to raise beef for our family to eat and to sell to our shepherd hut guests at Dimpsey.
I, James, have always wanted to farm and headed off to Harper Adams to do an Agricultural degree after my A levels, working with a local contractor at home during the holidays.
Now we want to raise beef sustainably with a focus on the quality that ends up on your plate.
The taste of the beef on your plate can be affected by so many things, so we've been putting a lot of time and effort into finding out the best ways to raise beef that our customers will love.
We raise predominantly Angus and Hereford cattle from the dairy herd, as we believe they produce the foundations for high quality beef. We bring them on farm from about three months old, and they will then spend their time growing with animal welfare and end quality the focus at every step right up until around 24 months old when they finish.
We also have a small suckler herd of Albion cattle which are a traditional English breed, which we have as they are good converters of rougher pasture. We also have SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) land, which is the last undrained moor on the Blackdowns. This ground needs to be grazed by rare breed cattle so the Albions spend their grazing season mainly on this ground, we have fewer of these cattle so their premium beef is often in limited availability
Our cows spend as much time as possible (weather dependant) outside grazing a mixture of old permanent pastures and newer pastures made up of grass and clover. Our fields don't take long to get muddy when winter arrives. This means the cows spend their winters housed on deep beds of straw in sheds, eating silage and a small amount of locally produced beans and barley to keep them growing consistently which helps produce high quality meat with deep flavours. The beans and barley are an important part of the housed diet and finishing diet as they enhance the marbling that the Hereford and Angus genetics provide the building blocks of. The marbling is important as its what gives our beef its sweet buttery flavour, juiciness and tenderness.
Being first generation farmers we have a lot to learn. But we are passionate about what we do, and are focused on producing good cattle, sustainably fed on good grass and local grains, to put what we believe is top quality beef for your plate.
We're excited to bring you along as we try to build a successful farm from scratch.
James (& the unpaid family helpers ;-))