LONGWOOD FARM is one of the longest established faces on the Organic
meat-marketing front. We bred, reared and marketed Soil
Association registered meats between 1990 and 2007, direct to our customers. We were also
there at the beginning when London’s first Organic market was set up in 1990 at Spitalfields, and have been there every Sunday since.
From 2007 we have been following the strict code of practice and guidelines set down by the
ORGANIC FOOD FEDERATION, which enforces its high standards by a programme of spot
inspections, plus an annual inspection to ensure absolute compliance over land
management and livestock husbandry.
Our farm
shop in Suffolk is one of the few totally dedicated Organic farm shops in the
country, we offer Organic beef, lamb, pork and poultry, as well as Organic fruit
and vegetables, breads and a large selection of Organic groceries. Our shop is
open two days a week, Friday and Saturday where butchers and staff
are on hand offering a friendly and knowledgeable service to suit customer’s
individual needs and requirements.
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BEEF
All the beef raised here at Longwood Farm lives life to the fullest extent
possible. They graze and browse amongst wild flowers and grasses on meadows
throughout the year, and in the winter their diet is supplemented with
Organically grown silage, hay and cereals.
Our beef is well hung and matured for full flavour and has a dark burgundy
colour. As a rule of thumb the parts of the animal at the top along the centre
to the rump are the tenderest, making them suitable for roasting, grilling and
frying. The shoulders and lower leg (the bits which work the hardest) yield cuts
that are cheaper and blessed with sack loads of flavour, they require longer and
slower cooking.
LAMB
Our sheep lamb over a period of two months (March and April). This gives the
lambs a good start, avoiding the cold chilly weather, and enabling them to graze
on the new spring grasses, where they can frolic and stroll to their hearts
content.
Depending on the season, and being on very light sandy land sometimes, during
late summer we supplement their grazing with Organic oats. Our lambs mature
slowly and acquire a depth of flavour worth waiting for, their fat is waxy this
plays an important part in keeping the meat moist, and will drip off in the
cooking process. Being a youthful meat most pieces of lamb are tender enough to
roast, with the exception of scrag.
PORK
Our pigs farrow throughout the year. They rootle around outside the whole of
their lives, producing tender succulent meat. We tend to favour pigs with an
unfashionable coloured skin, i.e. Saddlebacks, Duroc - this not only protects
them from sunburn in the summer, it makes them attractive to look at. It does
not affect the meat and is not noticeable on the crackling- the pig is the only
animal whose skin we eat, so appearance is very important, it should be dry and
silky to touch. Slow cooking produces the best results with pork, and it is most
important to ensure it is cooked right through. To obtain a crunchy crackling,
wipe the skin with several sheets of kitchen paper and then rub in generous
amounts of salt, don’t be tempted to baste it as it cooks.
CHICKEN
Our poultry have lives that are the envy of the conventional feathered world.
They start their lives here as just hatched day olds and live under warm
brooders, they have access to the outdoors as soon as they are feathered. Their
houses are moveable, and the flaps on the side open to ensure all birds can get
outside and there is no “pecking order” for pop holes. Their meat is full and
flavoursome and well worth getting your teeth into.
By coupling these sound traditional practices together with care, concern and
attention to detail, we believe that Longwood Farm provides you with a first
class range of Organic Meats. But please don’t take our word for it – try some
today and we are sure that you too will taste the difference.