[Closed] Random q: saltmarshes and grazing

Higginson's of Grange over Sands deliver salt marsh lamb, http://www.higginsonsofgrange.co.uk/shop/product/37/Lamb--amp--Mutton/SALT-MARSH-LAMB-RACK-OF-LAMB/

Thanks specky but wanted to avoid mail order. Have discovered that Waitrose sold it this year for a limited period but prefer farm shops.

Have you tried it yourself?

Romney Marsh for grazing. Also saltmarsh beef grazed at Hayling Island, Hampshire.

Salt Marshes in Lymington are grazed. No idea of a supplier though...

Mister Higginson does extremely good lamb... he's pretty local to us but the quality will be spot on.

I'm dribbling...

Whereabouts in the country are you? I will ask on the farming forum for you, there is bound to be someone reasonably local to you.

Bath Farmers Market any good to you? I think this is the firm a friend gets his from.

http://www.thoroughlywildmeat.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx

Call my local butcher if you're not too far from Kingston he normally has SML in stock.

http://www.pjdale.co.uk/products.htm

Thanks folks for those links What a shame that thoroughlywildmeatco. don't allow collection from their farm as that's doable. Really couldn't cope with Bath on a Saturday and carrying meat. Kingston too busy for me I'm afraid.

welshfarmer - I'm in Hampshire but happy to travel to Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Berkshire, West Sussex. Am particularly keen on grass fed animals that have had a decent quality of life. Thanks. 🙂

On the off chance that CaptainFlashheart is reading this - am so disappointed that Jody no longer has his farm shop, any ideas where I can buy his products particularly that delicious buffalo ice cream?

Request posted for you...

see what comes back

I too could be interested, WF. Thanks for your help.

in Orkney you get lamb that grazes primarily on seaweed! Not as nice as saltmarsh lamb though!

Molesworths butchers in Henleaze (north Bristol) sell salt marsh lamb from the gower, never tried it but always tempted.
They will be heaving for Christamas and run a weird ticketing system for xmas collections, you'll need to pre order now to have any chance of getting any for xmas. Probably won't be cheap I'm afraid.

Henleazebutchers.co.uk

They are also affiliated with goodsixty.co.uk where they have prices and possible delivery.
https://www.goodsixty.co.uk/retailers/bristol/56-molesworths-of-henleaze

They are 5mins from me so let me know if I can help.

The lamb will have grazed on salt marsh grasses and seaweed thus ingesting iodine which the UK population is lacking in.

I'm not a foodie but particularly interested in the health benefits of salt marsh lamb.

Here's a research paper carried out by a British endocrinologist:

http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/41/3/601.long

[url= https://www.laverstokepark.co.uk/buy/ ]Sources of Laverstoke Park stuff[/url]

Right I have a couple of replies so far on the Forum. Best I just quote them here and if you want more info I can mediate/get more info/contacts/etc

[b]Frank the Wool[/b] - East Sussex.. "We do Salt Marsh lamb from the Romney Marsh, however demand is usually limited and while everyone wants legs of salt marsh no one wants the whole carcass.
I supply a local butcher and he will sometimes be able to oblige.

At this time of the year we do not have any salt marsh but have plenty of pasture fed Romney lambs. Salt Marsh can usually be supplied from June to November."

[b]DanM [/b]- North Hampshire.. "If your friend's in the North Hampshire area, we wouldn't be to far (SN8). We supply individuals, pubs and shops with pasture and forest grazed Romney and rare breed Oxford lamb; individual cuts as well as whole or half lambs. Also Dexter and Angus beef. If she wants to collect then happy to give a tour. Pm if you'd like my details."

[b]Barleycorn [/b]- Hampshire.... "Turners butchers in Andover sell salt marsh lambs, they may be a good contact if she is close."

HTHs

Thanks mefty but nowhere is doing the full range. It was so convenient going to the farm and stocking up for the freezer.

I'm upset. 🙁

welshfarmer - thank you so much, most kind. 😀 SN8 is Marlborough, Wiltshire and would be interested in their details. A tour sounds terrific! Andover not far either.

Such a shame that it's the end of the season.

This place is great!

On the off chance that CaptainFlashheart is reading this - am so disappointed that Jody no longer has his farm shop, any ideas where I can buy his products particularly that delicious buffalo ice cream?

Village grocer has a lot of Jody's output for sale. Let me know if you're around! Things are changing, apparently. Farm shop gone, lots of product for the wider market gone. As before, village grocer is now doing all the produce from the kitchen garden. As far as I know, the buffalo are still producing (They're still in the fields, that's for sure), but there are many rumours around about the farm. One includes a possible separation from Mrs S. Not sure I'm buying that one. Had a chat to her the other day, and she seemed as happy as usual, then again, who knows!

Now, I think that the Southern Co-Operative group still have an option on the ice cream. Will check the freezers for you. (Stockers, Overton, etc)

The best Lamb in SN8...

[img] [/img]

Turner's in Andover are good, but they are in Andover. 🙂

Best butcher around is obviously Robinson's!

[img] [/img]

Thanks Cap'n for updating me, doesn't sound too good which is a shame. I very much admire his way of farming with strong welfare standards. Steak pies were also good.

Don't know the pub and of course keep meaning to try Robinsons. Refuse to buy meat from supermarkets, just don't trust them!

Don't know the pub

The Lamb, Marlborough. I may have wasted much of my youth there!

keep meaning to try Robinsons.

Sawdust on the floor, all butchers in ties and white coats, and meat of the very highest quality. Our village butcher is good, very good in fact, but it's worth the short drive across the hills to Stockers to get to Robinson's. Their meat is astonishingly good.

Had some of their smoked trout for lunch yesterday, as it happens. More as a result of location than as a butcher, but my God it's brilliant!

Cinnamon_girl I doubt eating the odd bit of salt marsh lamb is going to make a big difference with regard to iodine intake. Iodine/thyroidism/goitre/cretinism was a big issue in parts of the Alps in the 18th and 19th centuries but very localised and due to local food and water sources. Those conditions don't really exist now.

John Hanson and Cricklade College old boy am I 🙂

CG have a search for sand carrots too (we can buy them in Paris markets) supposed to have better mineral content.

Can't help with sand Lamb (whuch sounds wonderful) but there is a great farm up on Hogs Back/Puttenham they have a slaughter schedule and you buy a portion of the animal (so need a decent sized freezer)

C-G, this is [i]magnificently[/i] random. Thank you. 🙂

Garsons farm in esher?

Almost every foodstuff you buy has an impact on animals, be it ethical or not, so if you don't trust supermarket meat then to stay consistent you shouldn't buy anything from supermarkets.

No help to the OP, but watching with interest. We had salt lamb at a friend's wedding in Kent and it was amazing, so will be searching some of these places myself in the new year.

It also reminds me of a TMS moment almost to revival Johnner's leg over. I can't remember the occasion but the Queen was visiting the Lords Test to meet the players (from one of her commonwealth countries I expect), there was an extended lunch break and Aggers had managed to get hold of a copy of the special menu. And Romney Marsh salt lamb was on, and Tuffers was displaying such knowledge on the subject like you'd never expect, when as Aggers put it 'I assumed the only lamb you had was in a lamb donner'. Pure old duffers bants but what makes TMS so brilliant.

Here you go. This is one of the options from above

"Hi Mark

Phone is 07834 517538.

https://m.facebook.com/savernakeforestfarm/

Hope that helps

Best wishes
Dan Marriott"

It's this kind of random problem getting great answers that makes this ace so good. I never knew salt marsh lamb was a thing, and now I want to try some.

Nearest salt marsh to Derby anyone? 😉

Sawdust on the floor, all butchers in ties and white coats,

It's this kind of random problem getting great answers that makes this ace so good. I never knew salt marsh lamb was a thing, and now I want to try some.

Nearest salt marsh to Derby anyone?

If I may drift a short distance OT, is their such a thing as machair-raised lanb or mutton? Thanks.

@jamby you can get salt marsh lamb from Mont St Michael, your sand carrots near Lessay (as I recall) just up the coast.

If you choose to frequent Robinson's, make sure you have plenty of money, there is a hefty premium (one I am no longer willing to pay), however you should be able to make a contribution to [url= https://twitter.com/lamfrt ]this Twitter feed[/url].

John Hanson and Cricklade College old boy am I

So there is no excuse.

would Samphire and sea-kale have a similar effect?

Samphire could, but isn't commercial seakale grown like any other crop, except that it's blanched of course?

Blimey, just catching up!

Cinnamon_girl I doubt eating the odd bit of salt marsh lamb is going to make a big difference with regard to iodine intake. Iodine/thyroidism/goitre/cretinism was a big issue in parts of the Alps in the 18th and 19th centuries but very localised and due to local food and water sources. Those conditions don't really exist now.

[b]@slowoldman[/b] Every little helps and, although the conditions you mentioned may no longer apply, there is a problem with iodine deficiency. Here's some more reading including a UK pre-print paper, both by UK endocrinologist.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27973468 (one paragraph)

Iodine status of UK schoolgirls:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21640375

CG have a search for sand carrots too (we can buy them in Paris markets) supposed to have better mineral content.

[b]@jambalaya - [/b]not heard of those.

C-G, this is magnificently random. Thank you.

[b]@BigDummy[/b] - 😳 thank you kindly!

Almost every foodstuff you buy has an impact on animals, be it ethical or not, so if you don't trust supermarket meat then to stay consistent you shouldn't buy anything from supermarkets.

[b]@glasgowdan[/b] - I could only aspire to such godliness but do you not remember the horsemeat scandal?

[b]@welshfarmer[/b] - excellent, thank you. I've done a little bit of cycling in that forest.

If I may drift a short distance OT, is their such a thing as machair-raised lanb or mutton? Thanks.

[b]@slowoldgit[/b] - not heard of that. Can mutton be bought these days?

[b]@mefty[/b] - you've lost me, what have red trousers got to do with anything?

you've lost me, what have red trousers got to do with anything?

The clientele of Robinson's are quite partial to them.

Oh dear, they won't serve me then! Where do you go for meat?

So there is no excuse.

I'm not looking for one 8)

@welsh "liked" that page !

If the Red Trouser Brigade keep open a real local butcher they should be saluted for that. My parents don't shop there as it's too expensive.

The outlet shop of [url= http://randallparkerfoods.com ]this outfit in Appleshaw[/url] when I am around, which sadly is not often these days.

Oh dear, they won't serve me then!

I am sure they would, the people who work there are charming, they just appeal to people who not only just must have their meat for their dinner party, also have to make sure everyone else knows about it.

If I may drift a short distance OT, is their such a thing as machair-raised lanb or mutton? Thanks.

Not sure about Machair specifically but my mum who was raised on the island used to make a point of buying lamb from Lewis.

The sheep and lambs there are on either the machair or the moors. It tasted great.

Can't tell you which butcher she got it from but there is a couple in Stornoway and google found this place which does mail order mutton.

http://www.hebrideanmutton.co.uk/hebrideanmutton.html

The other Lewis or rather Ness delicacy she used to get was the guga.

I am sure they would, the people who work there are charming, they just appeal to people who not only just must have their meat for their dinner party, also have to make sure everyone else knows about it.

My parents don't shop there as it's too expensive.

We appear to have a very different experience of the place. I shop there because they have excellent meat (And cheese, actually!). I'm willing to pay more for good meat, in the same way that I use the local greengrocer for veg. Better stuff costs more. See also, bikes.

Good things in being a bit more expensive SHOCKAH!

Anyway, back on to lamb, and two tales from my old butcher in London.
1 - He would always try and have high quality Welsh lamb in season. It was always delicious. Lady came in, asked where the lamb was from. Butcher replied that it was from Wales, grazed on the green, green grass of home, etc. Lady asked if he had any French lamb instead. Butcher replied, "I think madam should try Tesco". WIN!

2 - He also had some seasonal lamb from the Romney Marsh area when he could get it. And it was, to put it mildly, astonishing. Stunning stuff, a really delicate salted flavour to it. Brilliant.

irc - thanks, bookmarked: over for this year.

We appear to have a very different experience of the place. I shop there because they have excellent meat (And cheese, actually!). I'm willing to pay more for good meat, in the same way that I use the local greengrocer for veg.

To be fair, I have probably been slightly hasty in reaching a conclusion as my family have only frequented the place for 45 years, I should probably wait a couple of generations. In the interim, I am intrigued in how you can tell the difference between the meat there and that at other local butchers who use the same sources.