Our August Update from the Dales & Fells

With August here, Summer is winding down in the Dales, though the weather has been fantastic, and the long evenings in the valleys are always extraordinarily peaceful. Many of the farmers are busy in their meadows making hay bales for the long Winter months, or else have been away at the Yorkshire Show parading their stock.

The Yorkshire Show is something like an awards ceremony in these parts, complete with celebrity farmers, rewarding the great skill and many hours of toil that goes into modern farming. Though idyllic in appearance, the life of a sheep farmer in the Dales for instance is one of being on duty all hours of the day, often all year round. The outcome of this dedication is the outstanding food we source and sell, and the protection and encouragement of heritage British breeds (you can find out more about our breeds mission here)https://www.farmison.com/about-us.

These breeds are the highlight of the show, with many of the breeds we sell being showcased, especially Yorkshire lamb breeds like the Masham, Wensleydale, and Wharfedale, or the Longhorn beef breed. You can find these breeds available the year round from us, or else keep an eye out for Birchfield Farm in Nidderdale for award winning Gloucestershire Old Spots, or the Nook, whose herd of Galloway are regular attendees of the Show.

August also marks the start of the Great Summer Sale. Over the course of the month we'll be reducing the price on lots of cuts across the store, starting with our steaks. With all of our steaks dry aged to utter perfection by our Master Butcher, it's the same quality for less. Plus, with the weather being so hot, just the ticket for a barbecue. It's also the perfect chance to try something new. In addition to classic steaks, there's plenty of American style steaks on offer, plus more unusual additions to the steak menu, such as the Hanger Steak, the Picanha Steak, (a Brazilian specialty) or the Jersey Short Rib Steak.

It's not just steaks though, and we'll be sending out emails to let our customers know what's on offer and when. If you're not subscribed to our emails you can sign up here to receive updates from us.

As with all of our produce, for the summer sale you can find recipes onsite, fresh from our very own Jeff Baker's kitchen. Jeff's also been busy putting together his favourite recipes for our Summer menu. In addition to his barbecue marinades, do have a look at his wider repertoire on our community area. There's plenty to whet your appetite, not least these Summer recipes:

Charred Lamb Tomahawk, Garlic, Goat's Curd, and Baked Eggplant

Blackened Bullet Steak & Fried Shallot Sandwich

Long & Slow BBQ Pork Shoulder

J Baker's Spare Ribs with Star Anise & Honey

Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon Yoghurt and Spices

Happy Eating,

John and Lee