Don’t just take our word for it, read some of the comments from judges at this year’s Great Taste Awards who were full of praise for two Manx lamb joints provided by Chris Sayle from Ballawhane Farm in Andreas.
After tucking into a delicious shoulder of lamb, the judges described it as being ‘tender, juicy and flavourful’, and added that there is a ‘distinct taste of the pasture’ and ‘good husbandry of the animal’. It’s the latest example of how traceability and animal welfare are becoming increasingly important in the food industry. Whether it is awards judges or shoppers visiting their local butcher’s shop, there’s increasing interest in knowing how food gets from farm to fork. The fact that Isle of Man Meats products can be easily traced back to one of our network of 220 Manx farms is a major factor that’s driving sales both here on the Island and in the UK. And that all starts with people like Chris who views farming as a vocation and a way of life, not just a business.
Ballawhane Farm is home to 500 Dorset and Suffolk cross-breeding ewes which are crossed with Beltex terminal sires. Chris sources sires from the farm’s pedigree Ballawhane Beltex flock which is looked after by daughter Catherine and her partner Patrick who have built it up over a number of years by buying in the best Beltex bloodlines. This investment is now proving itself in the quality and conformation of the carcasses which, coupled with the traditional commercial breeding ewes, is contributing to the great taste of the meat. Another important factor is that the lambs are raised on home grown cereal and finished on grass.
It’s great to see the hard work and dedication of Manx farmers being recognised – so we were delighted when Ballawhane Farm lamb won two prizes at this year’s Great Taste Awards (widely regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the food industry). A short leg of lamb won a 2-Star award, while their shoulder of lamb was given 1-Star. Great Taste Award winners receive 1-Star, 2-Star or 3-Star awards and all of the ratings are symbols of exceptional quality. Producers from 108 countries entered 14,113 products in this year’s awards, but only 30% received any star rating, and fewer than 10% received 2-Stars. Those stats show the high standard of competition.
After tucking into the Ballawhane short leg of lamb, judges described it as ‘a stunning joint with a deep meaty flavour’ with a ‘delicate, sweet and succulent’ taste which was ‘very moreish’. All of that makes us feel hungry! If you want to find out what tickled the judges’ taste buds, click here to find your nearest Isle of Man Meats retailer.
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