Meat and fish dishes
- Aberdaron Seafood, Llyn Peninsula - Dressed Brown Crab
- 'Beef into Booths Initiative’, Cumbria - Traditional Beef
- Belton Estate, Grantham, Lincolnshire - Naturally-reared venison from Fallow deer
- Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire - Honey, Chutney and Charcoal
- F Conisbee & Son Farming Partnership - Sussex Beef
- Dolaucothi Estate, Carmarthenshire - Lamb
- Gower, South Wales - Salt Marsh Lamb
- Grove Farm, Peak District - Bacon
- Hardwick Park Farm, Derbyshire - Longhorn Beef
- Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion - Lamb and Pork Loin Chops
- Low Sizergh Farm, Kendal - Creamy Organic Cheese and Organic Milk
- North Wales Mushroom Garden - Organic Gourmet Mushrooms
- Ossams Hill Farm, Peak District - Hogget Lamb
- Standleys Barn Farm, South Derbyshire - Lamb and Beef
- Stourhead Farm Shop, Wiltshire - Sirloin Steak
- Trehill Farm, Pembrokeshire New Potatoes
- Warren Farm, Herefordshire Beef Topside
- Wilkswood Farm, Dorset - Cured and Smoked Venison
- Wimpole Home Farm and Wimpole Gardens - meat and garden produce
- Yew Tree Farm, Cumbria - Herdwick Hogget
Drinks
Aberdaron Seafood, Dressed Brown Crab
Shellfish are harvested from the clean, fast-running waters of the Llyn Peninsula. Ranging up to 16 miles from the shore, Steve and Idwal use waste fish from trawlers to bait around 500 pots each week. They fish in a sustainable way; from the mixed catch only the lobster and brown crab are kept, with anything undersized – as well as the breeding hen lobsters, dogfish, conger eels or spider crabs – thrown back alive.
What the judges said:
'Really delicious with large chunks of white flesh, accompanied by perfectly-cooked brown meat'.
Where to buy:
- 01758 760209
- Email Steve Harrison
Barrington Court Estate, Apple Juices
The estate, near Ilminster, has 10 acres of ancient orchards with over 70 different varieties of apples – but it only began making its own juices two years ago.
A range of juices are made, some using apples solely from the property, sold under the Barrington Court name, and others under the ‘South Somerset’ name, using apples from four other local National Trust orchards at Glastonbury Tor, Lytes Cary Manor, Tintinhull Gardens and Montacute House.
What the judges said:
South Somerset Blended Apple Juice - 'great aroma and taste', the South Somerset Bramley Apple Juice as having a 'dry zingy taste' and the Barrington Court’s Early Worcester Apple Juice as 'superb, with a lovely aroma of honey and a delicate sweet flavour'.
Where to buy:
© National Trust
‘Beef into Booths Initiative’, Traditional Beef
A group of National Trust tenant farmers in Cumbria working with regional supermarket chain Booths to develop and promote high quality, traditional cattle have won an award for their beef.
The ‘Beef into Booths Initiative’ was developed by the National Trust and the tenants, working with Booths and English Farming and Food Partnership (EFFP), to add value to tenants’ produce; develop alternative selling options and routes to market, and encourage more traditional cattle in the uplands.
What the judges said:
Judges said the topside was 'amazingly tender, to the point where in a blind taste you probably think it was fillet'. The sirloin was tender with great texture and flavour and the mince praised for its leanness, texture and flavour.
Where to buy:
© National Trust
Belton Estate, Grantham, Lincolnshire - Naturally-reared venison from Fallow deer
'Our herd is completely naturally reared – what the deer eats it finds on the parkland,' explained Chris Shaw, the Estate’s head warden and deer manager. 'Deer are very much browsers and they eat a wide range of vegetation including grass, flowers, horse chestnuts, beech seeds, lime leaves and more. They eat completely as nature intended and that’s what brings out the flavour in our venison. Also the fact that they are Fallow deer makes a difference to the flavour – it’s a much less gamey meat than that from Red deer.'
What the judges said:
Judges said that the venison from the Belton Estate was 'coloured beautifully' on cooking and was 'lean and soft with good flavour'. The fillet, in particular, was said to have a texture 'like butter'. The chef in charge of the tasting said it was the best he had ever tasted.
Where to buy:
© National Trust
Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire. Honey, Chutney and Charcoal
Tanwood Products was set up in 2001 by Les Rogers, then the estate’s property manager. He has since retired from his role at the Trust but is still works with Tanwood Products.
'The first thing we made was damson jam, which won an award in the very first Fine Farm Produce Awards in 2006. Since then we have expanded and now make 14 different jams and chutneys. We use fruits and vegetables from Brockhampton and Hanbury Hall, another nearby Trust estate.'
Honey is a relatively new product, explained Les: 'Two years ago I asked a local man if he was interested in putting bee hives in the estate. He put in 20 hives and last year we had our first batch of honey.'
What the judges said:
Judges praised the Beetroot Chutney for its fabulous colour, gorgeous flavour and said it was 'more chunky than expected because it is hand-prepared'. Brockhampton Honey, said judges, had a smooth consistency and subtle buttery and sweet taste.
Where to buy:
The produce is sold at the Brockhampton and Hanbury Hall estate shops, as well as a number of other Trust shops in the West Midlands. They are also marketed through Willow Fine Foods, Les’ new venture set up since retirement.
© National Trust
F Conisbee & Son Farming Partnership, Sussex Beef
F Conisbee & Son Farming Partnership has been producing meat for almost 250 years. The partnership, which has two butchers’ shops in East Horsley in Surrey, is run by Neil Conisbee and his sons James and Stephen.
The vast majority of meat comes from their own farms in the Mole Valley, including the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey Estate and Chapel Farm.
What the judges said:
This year the partnership won an award for its Sussex Beef - topside, mince and sirloin was assessed by judges, who praised it for its taste, texture and good butchery.
Where to buy:
Dolaucothi Estate, Lamb (Carmarthenshire)
Dolaucothi lamb comes from a co-operative of eight tenant farmers on the National Trust’s 2,500 acre Dolaucothi Estate in Carmarthenshire. They began working together in 2003 to look at adding value to their lamb and soon developed a relationship with Sainsbury’s, which now sells all their lamb as a counter product through stores in Wales and England’s M4 corridor.
The tenant farmers follow farming methods that respect the environment and benefit wildlife habitats.
What the judges said:
Judges taste-tested a leg of lamb and described it as 'incredibly more-ish, subtle in flavour and soft in the mouth'. They also said it cooked nicely, carved well and had a sweet aroma.
Where to buy:
- Contact: 01558 650221
- Via Email
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© National Trust
Gower Salt Marsh Lamb, south Wales
The lamb is reared on the National Trust’s Llanrhidian marsh on the Gower coastline by farmers Rowland Pritchard and Colin Williams, who began working together to market their lamb four years ago.
What the judges said:
Judges taste tested a rack and leg of lamb and said it was 'incredibly moreish with a nicely developed flavour'.
Renowned by tourists for its sandy beaches and beautiful rocky coves, the north Gower coastline has a large salt marsh covering about 4,000 acres within the Burry Estuary. It is this that provides the main nourishment for the lamb and gives it its distinctive flavour.
Where to buy:
© National Trust
Grove Farm, Bacon (Peak District)
Grove Farm in the Peak District won this year for its dry-cured back bacon and Staffordshire Black bacon. The bacon comes from rare breed Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot pigs.
The farm near Dovedale in the heart of the White Peak is set 1,000 feet above sea level on rocky limestone pasture. It is run by Nick Bonsall, with the support of his wife Helen. They have a dairy herd and traditional breed sheep and beef cattle as well as the pigs.
What the judges said:
Judges said the dry-cured bacon cooked well and had lots of character, with the rashers remaining thick and crispy. The Staffordshire Black bacon, cured with treacle and molasses to a traditional recipe, they described as 'superb with a lovely sweet, subtly spiced flavour'.
Where to buy:
Hardwick Park Farm, Derbyshire - Longhorn Beef
The 650-acre farm, which surrounds the famous Hardwick Hall, is share-farmed by Richard and Clare Aldis. Together with their two sons, they moved to the estate in 2005, aiming to reintroduce rare breeds and restore the historic parkland.
As well as the Longhorns, the farm also has Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle. Rare breed Whitefaced Woodland Sheep have been reintroduced to the parkland and the farm is also home to pigs including Tamworths, British Lops, Gloucester Old Spots and Middle Whites.
What the judges said:
Judges passed the beef topside, sirloin steak and minced beef, praising the flavour and soft texture of all three samples. They also liked the 'very pale, veal-like appearance' of the meat, which is because the beef comes from the farm’s Longhorn Cattle, a traditional and rare breed which matures slowly on a grass diet.
Where to buy:
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Killerton Estate, Devon - Medium Dry Cider and Honey
Cider production began at Killerton in the 1990s, when some of the estate staff decided to have a go at using up the apples to make their own cider.
The cider is milled through an early 20th-Century apple mill and goes through a hand-cranked press on the estate itself, before it is filtered and taken to a local cider-maker for bottling.
The Estate’s orchard honey also won an award, for the second time.
What the judges said:
The judges were impressed with the strong, sharp taste and deep apple aroma of the cider, made using traditional apple varieties from the estate’s 150 acres of orchards.
Judges taste-tested a clear and cloudy honey and described it as 'rich, sweet and very more-ish'.
Where to buy:
Contact: 01392 883179
© National Trust
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion - Lamb and Pork Loin Chops
Rare Welsh breeds, including Welsh pigs and Llanwennog sheep, are reared on the organic lowland farm, and it is the meat from these animals which won the estate two awards – for lamb and pork loin chops.
Paul Boland, Property Manager at Llanerchaeron, explained: 'We run the organic farm in partnership with the University of Wales. Our traditional Welsh animals are fed on herb and flower rich grassland and they are looked after well, but not over-managed, in a beautiful environment - that is why our meat tastes so good.'
What the judges said:
The lamb was praised by judges for its great aroma and ripe flavour, and the pork chops for their dense texture and subtle flavour.
Where to buy:
Contact: 01545 570200
© National Trust
Low Sizergh Farm, Kendal Creamy Organic Cheese and Organic Milk
Low Sizergh Farm is part of the National Trust’s Sizergh Estate, on the edge of the Lake District National Park.
It has been run by John and Marjorie Park, their son Richard and daughter Alison since 1980. When milk quotas were introduced, the family started selling produce direct from the farm.
Cheese-making began in 2005. It is made by Chris Sandham, a third generation cheese-maker who produces traditional Lancashire cheese and has created Kendal Creamy, Kendal Crumbly and Kendal Crumbly with Red Onion.
What the judges said:
The milk – described by judges as 'inviting and rich with a lovely complexity of flavour' - is pasteurised and bottled locally.
The Kendal Creamy Cheese, judges said, is 'a mild, creamy organic cheese perfectly described by its name' with a flavour that improves at room-temperature.
Where to buy:
The milk is used in the tearoom and sold in the farm shop. It is also available in local National Trust properties including Sizergh Castle, as well as other outlets.
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© National Trust
The Mushroom Garden, Organic Gourmet Mushrooms, North Wales
Shiitake , Oyster and Chesnut mushrooms are grown by Cynan Jones, who runs the Mushroom Garden (known in Welsh as Yr Ardd Fadarch). It all began five years ago as a pilot project to look at alternative crops between the University of Wales Bangor and Gwynedd County Council. Cynan managed the project and when it ended two years later he realised that there was a viable market.
He explains: 'I had been foraging for wild mushrooms and eating them for many years - it was a real passion for me. So when this opportunity to develop my own business growing mushrooms came up, I decided to go for it. '
What the judges said:
'Flavoursome and rich' was how judges described the award-winning organic gourmet mushrooms from The Mushroom Garden in Beddgelert, North Wales.
Where to buy:
© National Trust
Ossams Hill Farm, Peak District - Hogget Lamb
This organic farm, run by Will Botham and Karen Jones, is in the Peak District and part of the National Trust’s South Peak Estate. Much of the farmland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The term hogget describes a mature lamb, reared through the winter into its second spring. 'We believe passionately in keeping native breeds of sheep and cattle,' explained Karen. 'They grow slowly, are kind to our land and produce great-tasting meat.'
What the judges said:
Hogget Lamb leg from Ossams Hill Farm was praised by the judges for its 'good aroma, dense texture and succulence' and the lamb chops for their sweet flavour.
Where to buy:
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Standleys Barn Farm, South Derbyshire - Lamb and Beef
Standleys Barn Farm is in South Derbyshire on the National Trust’s Calke Abbey Estate. This lowland, organic farm has been in the same family for four generations and is now managed by Joe Hallifield in partnership with Will Hallifield, with Daniel Hallifield, Joe's son, running the butchery.
What the judges said:
'The farm’s lamb cutlets had a good aroma and taste, and were juicy with length of flavour', said the judges. The lamb leg similarly had a great flavour and was moist and very tender.
The beef topside, sirloin steak and minced beef were also praised for their good flavour and texture.
Where to buy:
The farm sells through its own small shop, currently open only on Saturdays, but there are plans to expand this. Meat is also sold through other local shops as well as the Calke Abbey Estate shop. Local restaurants and the Calke Abbey Estate restaurant are also keen to get their hands on the award-winning meats.
Stourhead Farm Shop, Wiltshire - Sirloin Steak
The farm shop, on the National Trust’s Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire, is run by National Trust tenant farmers, Stephen and Louise Harris, together with Nick and Sarah Hoare, whose ancestor Sir Henry Hugh Arthur Hoare donated 3,000 acres of the estate to the trust in 1946.
'Our cattle are an Angus-Charolais cross and are fed on grass, hay and silage from a Site of Special Scientific Interest – the only addition to their diet is organic rolled barley and wheat from our own farm,' said Stephen.
What the judges said:
Sirloin steak from the Stourhead Farm Shop cooked very well and was 'incredibly tender, quite delicate in flavour with a very nice sweetness', said judges.
Where to buy:
The meat products are sold through the farm shop – which is in the estate car park – and also sold to local pubs, restaurants, hotels and schools.
Trehill Farm, Pembrokeshire - New Potatoes
The National Trust’s Trehill Farm in Pembrokeshire is run by Peter and Gina Smithies. The location of the coastal farm, 14 miles west of Haverfordwest, is key to the taste of the potatoes, says Gina. 'Our closeness to the sea keeps the fields frost-free, and together with the sea spray which soaks our fields, this gives our early potatoes a really earthy sweetness which is more vibrant than that of main crop potatoes,' she says.
What the judges said:
Their early Pembrokeshire potatoes won an award for the third time this year, praised by the judges for their subtle flavour; sweet, milky taste and great texture.
Where to buy:
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© National Trust
Warren Farm, Herefordshire Beef Topside
Warren Farm is situated on the top of the National Trust's Brockhampton Estate in Herefordshire. The farm also offers tours and trailer rides, which offer visitors the chance to see how the working farm operates, as well as take in the spectacular views.
They can also find out more about the ongoing programme of conservation and regeneration at Warren Farm, which is becoming a habitat for many more species of flora and fauna.
What the judges said:
This year the farm won an award for its Herefordshire beef topside, which the judges said cooked well and retained moisture in the middle.
'It’s a pure, natural product,' said James Hawkins, who runs the farm with his wife Victoria. 'We have traditional breed Hereford cattle, bred on grass and fresh air, and that’s why our beef tastes so good.'
Where to buy:
The Westerham Brewery Company: Little Scotney Pale Ale
Westerham Brewery is based on the National Trust’s Grange Farm in Crockham Hill, near Edenbridge in Kent.
It was set up in 2004 by Robert Wicks, who converted an old dairy at the farm into the micro-brewery. He began talking to the Trust and hop farmer Ian Strang about using the hops from nearby Scotney Castle to make beer. Following trials the Little Scotney Pale Ale and Best Bitter were launched in July 2005.
What the judges said:
The Best Bitter won an award last year, so this year it was the turn of the pale ale to impress judges. They described it as smooth on the palate without any bitter aftertaste, and praised its 'warm amber.
Where to buy:
Around 16,000 bottles of Pale Ale are sold every year through National Trust properties, Waitrose stores in the South East, independent retailers and by mail order.
Wilkswood Farm, Dorset - Cured and Smoked Venison
Paul Loudoun runs Wilkswood as a sheep and beef farm, breeding Aberdeen Angus and North Devon cattle and Dorset Horn and Dorset Horn cross sheep. Wilkswood Farm runs under the Countryside Stewardship scheme, with ongoing environmental projects including the management of hedges, stone walls and wildlife habitats. The farm is home to rare orchids, including the early spider and wasp varieties, as well as horseshoe bats and Adonis blue butterflies.
What the judges said:
Judges praised the venison for its clean and well-balanced flavour as well as its presentation.
Where to buy:
Paul sells his range of meat products through the farm shop which is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
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Wimpole Home Farm and Wimpole Gardens - meat and garden produce (Cambridgeshire)
The working farm is home to rare breeds of cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry, horses and goats which are not seen on farms generally these days and is one of the Rare Breed Survival Trust's Approved Conservation Centres. Good animal husbandry and animal welfare is at the heart of the work here.
Wimpole Walled Garden – which has been restored since the late 1990s– won awards for Burpees Golden beetroot, Senshyi Yellow onion and Champagne rhubarb. All the plants are grown naturally, without use of fertilizers and chemicals.
What the judges said:
The farm took awards for its White Park prime rib of beef, described by judges as well marbled and deliciously tender and moist with good flavour. Its rarebreed sausages were well prepared with good casing, a good solid texture and sweet flavour, said judges.
Where to buy:
All the produce from the farm and gardens is sold either through its own shop or at the Wimpole Estate's Old Rectory Restaurant.
Yew Tree Farm, Cumbria - Herdwick Hogget
Yew Tree Farm, near Coniston in the Lake District, is probably most famous because it was once owned by Beatrix Potter. But now the 600-acre farm is becoming increasingly well-known for its flavoursome meats, attracting attention from top chefs and picking up numerous awards along the way.
What the judges said:
The farm has picked up a prize for its Herdwick Hogget cutlets and leg. Judges praised the meat for its distinctive flavour, rich colour and texture.
Where to buy:
Visitors to the farm often buy meat to take home with them, and then continue to buy from the online shop which offers a range of cuts.
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