THE Hampshire Down lamb that was sold by a Kirkby Lonsdale butcher in 2020 was so sought-after it will be marketed again this year.

Kendal farmers Graham and Judith Galbraith will be joining forces with Dales Traditional Butchers to meet the demand for high quality local lamb.

High street butchers have had a tough time competing with the supermarkets, but Dales Traditional Butchers has a loyal customer following who appreciate the opportunity to buy good quality local lamb in season. The joints, chops and mince are popular, but he also uses the meat to make an award-winning Scotch and haggis pie.

“I had no past connections with the breed and had traditionally sold meat from Continental-type lambs, but I have always been keen to source local products,” explains Mr Duckworth, who works with his wife, Fiona. “I tried the sample that I was given and found the meat to be tender, with exceptional taste and texture.

“Some young lamb can lack flavour but that is certainly not the case with the Hampshire Down. The meat has a good covering of fat and produces an exceptionally tasty chop. Last year, I took all of the Galbraith’s new-season lambs and I have repeated the order for this year.

“The Hampshire Down has a large carcase and superb conformation. The Galbraiths always make sure that their lamb is well presented and in my opinion, they do an extremely good job. Their animals are produced to high welfare standards, which is an important factor.”

“People often describe the Hampshire Down as resembling a teddy bear and perhaps for this reason its hardiness is not always appreciated,” says Mrs Galbraith, who is a practising veterinarian.

“In fact, the Hampshire Down thrives in challenging conditions and copes well with most farming situations.”