A new Northumberland farm shop and coffee shop selling rare Dexter beef, Berkshire pork and Shropshire lamb will open its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday, October 21.
Farmers Charles and Debbie Rayson have realised a long-held ambition to have a shop window for their own top quality meats by launching Herding Hill Farm Shop and Coffee Shop on Shield Hill between Haltwhistle and the Military Road. The shop will be open from 9.30am until 5.00pm on its first day of trading. In future it will be open six days a week, closing only on Mondays.
The Raysons took over Herding Hill Farm in May, 2002, and have steadily built up their herds of rare breed cattle, sheep and pigs. They have been selling the meat at farmers' markets and to high-class restaurants such as Seaham Hall, through their marketing arm, Northumbrian Rare Breed Meats.
They hope the new café will whet customers' appetites for Herding Hill produce by using its meat in casseroles and other dishes. The Raysons will also sell home-produced cakes, biscuits and meat pies, as well as locally-sourced cheeses, jams, bread, pickles and vegetables.
The 100 or so Dexter cattle being reared at Shield Hill all have a pedigree which is carefully recorded on a card index system. The breed itself is originally from Ireland. The Draysons' herd, including the steers, is registered with the Dexter Cattle Society, and the parentage can be traced back to the 1800's.
The Dexters live out all year round and they live off grass, which makes a difference to the taste of the meat. The Berkshire pigs also live outside and
they are fed a special diet of locally-grown broad beans, wheat and barley.
The meat, says Debbie, has a lovely sweet taste and is full of flavour. The Shropshire sheep also produce high quality meat.
The Raysons, who are members of Northumbria Larder, the regional food group, strongly believe in producing as natural a product as possible and their sausages, for instance, are made the day before they go on sale because Charles and Debbie do not believe in adding preservatives to them.
Charles is originally from a farming family in Corbridge, near Hexham, and after the couple met down South, Debbie joined him on his frequent returns to Tynedale.
Their farm shop is on the tourist trail not far from Hadrian's Wall and they hope to get a lot of business from visitors in the years ahead. But, most of all, they are hoping for support from local people who appreciate a range of very fine meats.
