Christmas (and Thanksgiving) Turkeys will be on sale from the world famous Sheepdrove Organic Farm for Christmas 2009.
From mid-September, customers will be able to place orders online or through the Bristol and London shops for these high quality, better tasting, better bred birds.
Customers will be able to buy individual birds or Christmas hampers, including a variety of meats, sauces and extras. These flexible hampers can be modified to suit family size and personal preferences.
To ensure the highest possible levels of satisfaction, all Turkeys come with cooking guides and recommendations for the perfect meal.
Several different breeds of Turkey are available offering a mixture of flavours*.
Russell Downing, Director of Operations, Sheepdrove Organic Farm: “Our naturally reared organic meat is amongst the finest in the world. The animals live happier healthier lives, which ensures better tasting, higher quality meat.
Fresh Turkeys will be available for the Christmas period (although a small selection will be ready in time for Thanksgiving celebrations) and are available is sizes ranging from 4kg(9lbs) to 7kg (16lbs). Pre-ordered Christmas turkeys will be delivered between 15th and 23rd December.
What makes a Sheepdrove Turkey a happier healthier Turkey?
As a world leading organic farm, Sheepdrove uses natural farming methods developed over centuries of human food production. Unlike modern battery methods there is no risk of pesticide or chemical contamination. Sheepdrove’s turkey flock live free range on the Berkshire Downs, developing a superb natural flavour that ensures customers return year after year.
The Turkeys have been at the farm since June, where they arrived as day-old chicks . Their brooder houses include “conservatories” to provide natural light, straw bedding, plenty of space and piped sound effects of the great outdoors. During early July, once they had grown outdoor plumage, they were moved to their fields, where they roam freely with access to woodland and hedgerows . They are gathered into mobile houses each night to protect them from predators.
Turkeys are very curious creatures and are therefore provided with lots of ‘toys’ and a diverse environment to satisfy their inquisitive nature. Old CDs suspended on string seems to be a great favourite.
The birds are weighed on a regular basis to check what sizes will be available for direct sales. Normally they are sold out by the end of November and weights are juggled to fit orders rather than force feeding. Following slaughter the turkeys are all hung for two weeks in chillers to produce the best possible flavour.
*Various Breeds Several breeds are available including:
Norfolk Bronze – now synonymous with the traditional Christmas Lunch these large organic birds benefit from Sheepdrove’s now famous standards for animal welfare and natural farming processes – all of which ensure a more succulent, healthier, tastier bird.
Norfolk Black and Bourbon Red – Several hundred years ago these birds, with their longer legs, longer breasts and gamey flavour would have been considered the norm. Now these “natural” breeds are once again available through Sheepdrove, giving consumers the chance to try something different.