is the word 'mutton' off putting?

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Its image that sells. There was a company here (before he was bought out/sold up) used to sell Blackie meat into high end restaurants in London... they were born and ran on a hill farm (of noted fame being featured in an episode of the Hairy Bikers where they went on the hunt for a Haggis :rolleyes:) - and that's the image that was sold, mature lambs slow grown and flavoured on heather hill and grass... these posh restaurant clientele couldn't get enough of it.

He conveniently forgot to tell the rest of the story how the lambs were brought 30miles down the valley onto lowland/dairy ground at weaning and ran all winter on new lays and fed concs :ROFLMAO:
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I'm not sure what the answer is... I've only ever had lamb once when out which truly blew me away with its quality and taste.
Mostly it's like ordering a steak in a restaurant... so much promise which ends in a total let down :unsure:

I also struggle to buy lamb that tastes anything like my own ones which I get done - don't understand that really, but do understand why so many dislike lamb.

I also hate with a passion the whole mint sauce thing... Aldi were doing (Scottish) lamb burgers all summer and I tried them. They were very good .. until the bloody mint hit you :sick: fecking ruined it so I never bought them again. I can't be alone in that?

The product is good, I fully believe that - and I promote it as much as I can, but there's a lot of problems to sort out (n)
 

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
anybody remember the bernard mathews 'turkey roasts'?...turkey crammed in a roll........well ,don't shoot me down in flames,...how about a kebab roast version?

i'm thinking...rival that bourgeois m&s meal for two blah blah prosecco blah blah.....WITH...working class..kebab roast and 8 cans of stella:D:D:D
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
Well, what do you know....

...just logged on and look what's at the top of the page...
Screenshot (42).png

..........the AHDB survey :rolleyes: Who says we're not been watched? :woot: Coincidence or not, make sure you let them know we want more of that big pile of levy money spent on promotion(y)
 
Just got a text from the butcher - your lambs look great, came back as heavies, 22-28 kilo, not too much fat etc.

They were 18 month old whethers.

Already had a fair bit of interest, and going to give a load away to various folk to see what they think l and generate some interest.

Just a bit of an experiment for us, and possibly a good way to utilise our younger cull ewes etc.

Free range, grass fed, organic mutton? Got to be a seller to the folk around here.
 

Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
Just got a text from the butcher - your lambs look great, came back as heavies, 22-28 kilo, not too much fat etc.

They were 18 month old whethers.

Already had a fair bit of interest, and going to give a load away to various folk to see what they think l and generate some interest.

Just a bit of an experiment for us, and possibly a good way to utilise our younger cull ewes etc.

Free range, grass fed, organic mutton? Got to be a seller to the folk around here.

Well done and good luck, I hope I'm wrong but I suspect when you're offering freebies to test the water they'll be queuing up with their begging bowls but when they have to put their hands in their pockets they'll evaporate...
My sister was having pigs butchered a d turned into sausages regularly, one well known tight arse(farmer) was ordering packs and packs of them, I couldn't believe it... turned out she was only charging £2 A pack, I told her she was far to cheap.. check the prices in the supermarkets etc.next batch she charged £3, said tight arse never brought another pack!
 

Wink

Member
Location
Hampshire
Just got a text from the butcher - your lambs look great, came back as heavies, 22-28 kilo, not too much fat etc.

They were 18 month old whethers.

Already had a fair bit of interest, and going to give a load away to various folk to see what they think l and generate some interest.

Just a bit of an experiment for us, and possibly a good way to utilise our younger cull ewes etc.

Free range, grass fed, organic mutton? Got to be a seller to the folk around here.
Sound absolutely perfect. Which abattoir are you taking them too?
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Just got a text from the butcher - your lambs look great, came back as heavies, 22-28 kilo, not too much fat etc.

They were 18 month old whethers.

Already had a fair bit of interest, and going to give a load away to various folk to see what they think l and generate some interest.

Just a bit of an experiment for us, and possibly a good way to utilise our younger cull ewes etc.

Free range, grass fed, organic mutton? Got to be a seller to the folk around here.


Is it worth it :(

Simple maths at FT's £1/wk is £78 in 'rent' alone (I'm well aware it's not that much... grass here is half that in some places - but that's still £39 before any other costs). I sold 30 cast ewes and a handful 18month hoggets last week to an average of £55 (after costs)... so much for cast ewe/mutton trade a flier!! They were all well fleshed and very solid/blocky medium sized sheep. 2 very fit Lleyn tups only just made £80... mind you - I bought one of them as a full mouth stock tup 3 years ago for £70 and he has left me a hell of a lot of lambs... so I'm not complaining too much
 
Well done and good luck, I hope I'm wrong but I suspect when you're offering freebies to test the water they'll be queuing up with their begging bowls but when they have to put their hands in their pockets they'll evaporate...
My sister was having pigs butchered a d turned into sausages regularly, one well known tight arse(farmer) was ordering packs and packs of them, I couldn't believe it... turned out she was only charging £2 A pack, I told her she was far to cheap.. check the prices in the supermarkets etc.next batch she charged £3, said tight arse never brought another pack!

Sort of kills a few birds with one stone. Got a variety of people to thank / apologise to ;) And possibly a useful end to some tail end fat lambs, triplets or ewe lamb twins etc, which cut their teeth, and would have maybe made £50 at market.
 
Is it worth it :(

Simple maths at FT's £1/wk is £78 in 'rent' alone (I'm well aware it's not that much... grass here is half that in some places - but that's still £39 before any other costs). I sold 30 cast ewes and a handful 18month hoggets last week to an average of £55 (after costs)... so much for cast ewe/mutton trade a flier!! They were all well fleshed and very solid/blocky medium sized sheep. 2 very fit Lleyn tups only just made £80... mind you - I bought one of them as a full mouth stock tup 3 years ago for £70 and he has left me a hell of a lot of lambs... so I'm not complaining too much


I wouldn't go messing about renting land to specifically do it I guess, but we have a lot of marginal ground, and basically just let a few run on with the ewes or in the ram paddock, once they had cut their teeth. We also find that we always seem to pick up a few throughout the year that have somehow jumped electric, and hidden themselves amounts 1000 ewes. Its only when we are shearing (if they are wool sheep), or scanning that they crop up, unless we spot them in the field.

What I was thinking, was more in future, when we have young ewes that we are culling, they end up making sweet fa in the mart or through a dealer, so if I could turn them into maybe £120-150 boxed animals, that will be returning £90-£120 after killing and cutting. Which even with a bit of messing about, is a better return for a ewe I was keeping anyway, and killing anyway.

If that makes sense?

Because otherwise, you can't get away from the fact that mostly on a breeding flock, days to slaughter is a key KPI.
 

Wink

Member
Location
Hampshire
We took them to Much Meats this time. Have used Farnborough in the past. Don't really know many around here?

I wouldn't go messing about renting land to specifically do it I guess, but we have a lot of marginal ground, and basically just let a few run on with the ewes or in the ram paddock, once they had cut their teeth. We also find that we always seem to pick up a few throughout the year that have somehow jumped electric, and hidden themselves amounts 1000 ewes. Its only when we are shearing (if they are wool sheep), or scanning that they crop up, unless we spot them in the field.

What I was thinking, was more in future, when we have young ewes that we are culling, they end up making sweet fa in the mart or through a dealer, so if I could turn them into maybe £120-150 boxed animals, that will be returning £90-£120 after killing and cutting. Which even with a bit of messing about, is a better return for a ewe I was keeping anyway, and killing anyway.

If that makes sense?

Because otherwise, you can't get away from the fact that mostly on a breeding flock, days to slaughter is a key KPI.
Would be interested in the odd few if you had surplus going through Farmborough. Also totally get your last statement, was recently thinking if there was someone tupping lots of ewe lambs, the ones that didn't get in lamb, at the right price, could be marketed as hogget or run on for first class mutton. I'm at the niche end so learnt that running around after small amounts of sheep is not really worth it but a batch close to the butchery as part enjoyment choice and marketed right would/could work. I would like to try a bit of lamb/mutton charcuterie next year as a separate side note. If you had a bunch of the aforementioned you would sell of farm for more than you would get at market etc to run through spring - Xmas I would be interested.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top