Quality meat from the Jurassic Coast
Freshly frozen on site, we sell individual pre-packed cuts at the Farm Shop or Meat Boxes delivered to your door as convenient freezer fillers in our Meat Boxes. All our meat is from grass-fed animals grown only on the herb rich coastal pastures of Tamarisk Farm, certified Organic and freshly frozen for convenience and quality.
BEEF
Our pedigree herd of Ruby Red cattle were the natural choice of breed for Tamarisk Farm. World renowned for their ability to produce the very finest well marbled beef on a low input system, they are the perfect beast for our species-rich meadows where they mature slowly on a 100% grass-fed diet. Our cattle eat nothing but fresh grasses and herbs for most of the year with extra meadow hay in the winter. Hung on the bone for at least 25 days in time honoured fashion, their meat is bursting with flavour and meltingly succulent.
LAMB
Like wild deer, our sheep give birth to their lambs in spring when grass is fresh and abundant. All the lamb you buy live their whole lives outdoors on our herb-rich meadows. They come from our flock of Dorset Down sheep, a dependable traditional breed no longer as common as it once was. Bred for our warmer southern climes they mature faster than our other breeds, producing succulent cuts that are perfect for summer barbecues and roasts.
HOGGET
Hogget is an old English word for sheep which are older than lamb but younger than mutton. Our heritage breeds (such as Shetlands and Hebrideans) are closer to the wild ancestors of sheep, meaning they are hardy and mature slowly, developing deeper flavour as they graze the herbs, shrubs and wild flowers. Aged on the bone to further intensify their flavour and tenderise the meat: for those who seek rich flavour then our hogget is the natural choice.
MUTTON
All of our mutton comes from ewes at the end of their natural lives, having given us much wool and many lambs over the years. Mutton is perfect for a slow roast, or for any dish that requires slow cooking, with that extra cooking time rewarding you with its deep flavour. If you want an authentic curry or a hearty winter pot-roast bursting with flavour then mutton is what you need. One of Tamarisk Farm's specialities is our mutton sausages; either herby or lightly spiced they'll make a hearty Sunday morning English breakfast extra special. With mutton, rich rewards await the patient.
Traditional, Sustainable, Ethical
We think our beef and lamb is pretty special: grass fed, slow matured heritage breeds, grazing our herb rich coastal pastures. All resulting in healthy soil, people and planet & meat with superlative taste.
Organic
Our meat is certified Organic, so you can be sure that it is free of . We believe in rearing animals outdoors, on natural diets without routine use of medications or antibiotics. Sustainable farming, not intensive farming.
Quality Assurance
Soil Association and Red Tractor Certified the provenance of our meat is assured, and with the diverse 'salad bar' of herbs and grasses our slow matured native breeds enjoy year round, you can also be assured of meat with incredible flavour and texture. It's meat as nature intended.
Ethical
Tamarisk farm believes in paying staff at or above the Living Wage recommended by the Living Wage Foundation. We sell & buy from local companies wherever possible, and utilise biodegradable packaging. Our ethics inform everything we do on Tamarisk Farm, and makes us who we are.
Healthy
Our animals spend their entire lives eating a diverse, varied diet of grasses & herbs. Their natural diet is apparent, like an egg yolk, in the rich colour of the fat that marbles their meat. Grass-fed animals produce meat higher in beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids that are so rare in the modern diet. Such nutrient dense foods are vital to ensuring you get the vitamins and antioxidants required without having to eat excessive amounts of food. Ultimately you are what you eat, and when it comes to meat: you are what you eat, ate.
Low Environmental Impact
Our hardy sheep and cows spend almost their entire lives outside, grazing native grasses and herbs. This sort of traditional management is far less intensive in resources than feeding grain in barns & grazing fertilised pastures that pollute our rivers. All this amounts to deeper, richer soils that sequesters more carbon dioxide than is emitted in the life of the animals. Our less intensive system means our meat is more expensive to produce, but it's meat that won't cost the earth.
High Animal Welfare
Organic standards require the highest animal welfare of any system in Britain. We take personal pride in the rich, healthy and stress free lives our animals lead outdoors, on a natural and diverse diet. Because we only use hardy native breeds that are well suited to this traditional way of life, they require no routine medication or feed supplements to live healthy and contented lives. Our sheep lamb naturally outdoors in spring with little intervention, and the cattle calve on deep straw bedding over the winter and won't be separated from their calves until they the following year when they would naturally wean.
Family Run
Tamarisk is a small family run farm. We’ve been here since 1960 with the third generation just now getting stuck-in. We’re passionate about what we do and if you’re ever visiting for an open day or just to come to the farm shop, we’re more than happy to explain what we’re about.
Nurturing Biodiversity
As well as the many ponds and hedgerows we've added to our farm, our sheep and cows are traditional, native breeds that thrive on the native grasses and herbs of our wildflower pastures that gain their fertility from the diversity of plants. Careful grazing helps maintain the varied habitats the pastures and scrub provide for the plethora of butterflies, orchids and birds. This, sadly less common practice, often called Conservation Grazing, is a central practice at Tamarisk Farm.
National Trust Tenant
Much of the farm is rented from the National Trust so the rent we pay for the land helps protect our countryside for everyone’s benefit. Because of their help we can share miles of footpaths & public access, so you can come and see our pocket of the Jurassic Coast for yourselves.