Food, Farming and Family: Tales from Lincolnshire.
An introduction to our little slice of Lincolnshire - my family’s farming legacy and our thriving, female led business.
Introductions
I’m new here. And like every awkward first day of school, training course or team building ice breaker, I’m going to tell you a little about myself.
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Rapidly careering towards October and my 40th birthday, I am a fourth generation farmer (well, probably many more than that - but the fourth of my family on this land) and a butcher. It’s an all female partnership between my mum and I, and my daughter at 14 is keen to take the reins when her time comes.
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It is now three and a half years since we converted the dairy and milking parlour in which my mum milked her herd in the 1960s and 70s, into a bungalow for my parents. Still very much involved in the business, mum had done her share, she said, of being in 24 hour work mode. My turn then, I guess! And along with my husband and daughter, I moved into Mill Farm, where I had grown up.
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In rural South Lincolnshire, nestled neatly between Bourne and Stamford, our family farm extends from the small and quiet village of Manthorpe, along the lane to neighbouring Wilsthorpe - even smaller and quieter still. We have a mixture of arable land and grazing, and it is here that we run our flock of sheep - today numbering around 800 in total. Also situated in Manthorpe, next to the farmhouse, is our long established butchers shop.
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We farm using traditional methods, working with nature and using our generations-old skills and experience to guide us. Nothing even hinting at intensive here. Our sheep are fed on barley and hay grown here on the farm, and cared for by ourselves with the help of a small team. In turn, we work alongside friends with the same farming and livestock husbandry and welfare values, meaning that the meat that we sell in our shop is fully traceable and of the highest quality, whilst representing our commitment to supporting our close farming network.
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We are immensely proud to serve both our immediate and wider communities with the very finest in home reared and local meat and poultry, eggs and potatoes, honey, cheeses, and more. Our range of products is diverse, but always seasonal, and we never buy in cuts of meat to meet with demand - this means that we utilise the whole animal without unnecessary waste. Again, our ethos is based around traditional principles and doing things properly. Sometimes, our way of doing things might mean harder work for us - but it is worth it to be able to say we really are proud of what we do.
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As a family and as a team, our passion for truly good food, every day drives our dedication to provide our customers with the best possible produce whilst also offering great value for money. In knowing our craft and in understanding the transition from farm to butchers shop to kitchen to table, we are able to provide, prepare and advise on an individual basis, genuinely valuing each and every person who walks through our door and taking time to get to know people’s own preferences and requirements.
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Our shop may be small but it has a big personality and a real sense of friendship and familiarity. Through our social media platforms, across our shop counter and now, of course, extending into the world of blogposts - we aim to keep that conversation going and to give more of an insight into who we are and what we do. I hear the words “You should write a book!” time and time again, and I often wonder at the sometimes unbelievable goings-on here and agree. I hope that this is a good place to begin.
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