Hebridean Lamb: Alongside the other traditional breed meats, we are now regularly selling lamb from Hebridean sheep. The Hebridean is a primative type sheep, thought to be decended from the flocks that would have been present over much of the highlands of Scotland prior to the arrival in the 1800's of the Scottish Blackface. Previous to that the breed is though to be of Norse origin.

It is a slightly larger sheep than some of the other traditional types and takes around 18 months to reach maturity in comparision to much conventional lamb which is ready in six months. This has the attendant advantges for flavour which are associated with slower maturing meat.

The breed has a reputation for usefulness in conservation grazing where its habit of selecting courses growing vegetation is of assistance in managing wildlife sites for flora and birds. Ours also have a useful role as pasture improvers, as they show a marked preference for eating dock and other boradleaved weeds.

Charcuterie: We are developing a range of other products from our traditional breeds meat. Our aim is to produce simple uncomplicated foods where the basic quality and flavour of the meats can shine through.

We have a delicous Duck Rillettes, made from duck meat which is cured and then slowly cooked in goose fat before the meat is shredded and packed in jars. It is eaten cold, like a pate on hot toast or crusty bread or can be used warm with a salad or couscous.

Goose Fat is now a widely know product and the secret in many of the best prepared roast potatoes. Obviopusly produced from our own stock of geese the fat is rendered and sold in 150gm tubs ready for use. We have been told it is also a traditional remedy for colds, when applied to the person. We have yet to have this extensively trialled for us!

We have our own Dry Cured Bacon and Ham and sell back, streaky and collar bacon both smoked and unsmoked. Ham is available either cooked and sliced ready to eat or as gammons for home cooking. Again they are available smoked or unsmoked. The unsmoked ham is dry cured using a mix of salt and muscovado sugar and left exposed to the air for the duration of its curing time. The smoked hams is cured in a sweet spiced brine before being rolled and tied for cutting to final sizes. At present all the gammons we are selling are boneless.

Taking a step on from our streaky bacon is a slower cured Pancetta which delivers an aromatic and flavoursome addition to a range of dishes. The pancetta is rolled and then sliced or diced ready for cooking.

Our REAL Corned Beef is proving to be popular, made from good cuts of our own Belted Galloway beef, it is cured in the traditional manner and sold cooked and sliced ready to liven up a summer salad or special sandwich.

New amongst our range are also two smoked and ready to eat sausages. An Andoullie which is a french style hot smoked pork sausage made with fresh onion, garlic and spices. It is ideal either eaten as it is like a salami or works very well cut into chunks to pep up a pasta sauce or  flavour a bean casserole. Our Hot Smoked Beef Sausage can be put to similar use and is a very flavoursome but slightly milder taste experience. Both are rusk free.

One of our most popular products is our Spotty Pig Pork Pies. These individual pies are prepared in the traditional manner of the pork pie of Northern England with our own local twist. They are made with a hot water crust pastry using organic flour, lard from our own pigs and goose fat. The filling is a mixture of Oxford, Sandy & Black pork and dry cured bacon. Fantasic eaten cold (ideally at room temperature) or even better eaten warm as they cool down after cooking. They can be bought baked ready to eat or frozen for baking at home.

Roast Smoked Pork is made from the 'clean' silverside and topside joints from the pork legs which are quick cured in a cider and ginger brine before being hot or roast smoked. The product is sold sliced ready to eat to be used as sliced ham.

If you are interested in finding out more about these products, some are now listed on the order form, otherwise please do contact us, email: dugie@warkfarm.co.uk or via the contact page.