Lamb and Sheep Breeds Used

We source our lambs and sheep from a select few Arran farmers, in this way we can keep the quality and consistancy of the finished product to a very high standard. Throughout the year we use three main breeds of lamb, these being Texel, Suffolk and Scottish Blackface. They are all best suited to their own particular time of year. We begin using Texel lambs in Springtime from May through the Summer until the beginning of August this being the time when lamb is at its most tender and having the sweetest flavour. August is when the bulk of lamb production for the butchers trade begins and is when we move on to using the Suffolk breed, a tried and tested type which produces a good size and shape of lamb (20 - 25kg) along with the flavour and tenderness which our customers demand. Suffolk lambs take us through until the end of December. From January until May we use the hardy breed of the native Scottish Blackface. Bred to endure our harsh wet Winters,their slow growing makes them best suited to be ready for this time of year and give a more unique flavour to their meat. Being a little older the carcase does benefit from being hung for slightly longer (1 -2 weeks), something akin to good quality beef. Our mutton is sourced solely from the Scottish Blackface breed, as again they are best suited for keeping on through the Winter for the extra six months to a year required to give the size, shape and taste which only the older sheep can produce. Mutton at this age of up to 2 years old has a flavour which is not widely known about outwith farming circles, but most of the old farmers I know all prefer "something with a bit of age about it"