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We’ve chosen some very special cattle breeds for the unique taste and quality of their beef. All come from small, family-owned farms and have entirely natural diets.

• A beautiful rare breed that matures early, and gives really outstanding beef, with good marbling. The Dexter is the smallest breed of cattle in the UK and can reach a fine level of fat on a grass diet without supplementary feeding. It’s deep, rich flavour, small joints and minimum waste make it extremely popular.

• Galloways are rugged and hardy traditional cattle – natural foragers who yield juicy, tender and well-flavoured beef. Their meat has been shown in studies to be exceptionally low in total fat and so is especially suitable for those looking to enjoy steak while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

• This old-fashioned breed goes back some 200 years and is the same breed that made England so famous for fine roast beef. Longhorn are now classed as rare breed cattle and, although not such a big name today, the beef is still perfection. The meat is fine-grained, well-marbled, and simply makes for excellent eating.

• The traditional Shorthorn breed is one of the oldest in the world, with breeding going back some 200 years. Originally a dual-purpose breed, the cattle have been specially bred into two strains – for dairy and for beef. The Beef Shorthorn thrives on a simple, natural diet and the delicious meat is loved for its even, well-marbled, tenderness.

• Well-loved for consistently fine beef, this hefty, distinctive breed was developed in the 19th century. An even fat coverage and perfect marbling makes the taste and texture rich, moist and succulent. Many herald it as the best beef in the world. It’s widely recognised, with several countries having their own specific Angus breeds.

To compliment our beef, we’ve chosen our Lamb breeds for the quality and flavour of their meat. As with our beef, all our lamb is raised outside on a natural diet and comes from small independant farms.

• A small rare breed, Jacob were very common during the middle ages but declined in later times in favour of more modern breeds. A hardy breed, Jacobs are easily wintered outdoors and provide an exceptionally full flavoured and lean meat even up to Hogget.

• Named after the Yorkshire valley, the Swaledale are noted for their off-white wool and curled horns. The exact origin of the breed is unknown, but the Swaledale is related to the Scottish Blackface and Rough Fell sheep. It’s Mutton in particular is known for it’s flavour and tenderness.

• Native to the central and western Lake District, Herdwick sheep roam free on England's highest mountains. Recorded as far back as the 12th century, they mature slowly feeding on heather and fell grass and are renowned for their distinct flavour, tight grained texture and slight marbling.

• Masham sheep have been bred for over a century on the hill farms in the Northern Counties of England. The Masham is medium sized hardy and hornless and produces flavoursome lamb with a good fat to meat ratio.

• Reared by extensive grazing on species rich moorlands throughout the UK, Blackface sheep are horned, with black or black and white face and legs. Blackface Lambs naturally mature later in the season and, therefore, retain their flavour and succulence well into the New Year.

As with our Beef and Lamb, all our Rare Breed Pork comes from small UK farms. We then dry age the carcasses for a minimum of 10 days and hand-cut to order.

• The breed originated around the Berkeley Vale in SW England. Traditionally foraging windfall fruit from local orchards, folklore says the spots on their backs are bruises from the falling fruit. Good husbandry produces quality carcasses without excessive fat coverage.

• The British Saddleback is a striking animal being black with a white unbroken band. The body is both deep and long reflecting its advantages both as an excellent breeding animal and as a producer of high quality meat.

• The Tamworth is one of the most distinctive of British breeds, with its richly-coloured coat which can range from pale ginger to the deepest auburn. Originating from Tamworth in Staffordshire it produces succulent pork as well as excellent bacon.

• The Oxford Sandy & Black Pig, sometimes referred to as the “Plum Pudding or Oxford Forest Pig” is one of the oldest British pig breeds. It has existed for 200-300 years. Producer’s of fine quality white skinned pork and bacon with superb flavour.

• The Middle White is a rare but distinctive breed. This "beautifully ugly" pig more than deserves its fame as a British pork pig of the early 1900s. Boasting a much appreciated taste, almost forgotten in these days of modern commercial production.