Farm Shop
Grobdale is a small hill farm, 65 acres is very small compared to lots of the farms around us however we utilise our land, well we hope. We raise livestock that suit their environment and so get to live their healthiest and best life.
We chose to rear Tamworth pigs, a breed that was largely ignored after the second world war when farms and breeders were looking to increase food production and so would rear breeds that would fatten quickly. Tamworth’s are a slower growing pig, but in slowing down the process we feel that we deliver a so much better tasting meat. The pork you will taste from our outdoor reared pigs will take you back to your younger years when sausages tasted like sausages.
Herdwick sheep were our choice for the hill, a breed more commonly seen in the Lake District, we have a very similar climate here in south-west Scotland so felt that they would do well here. It seems they thrive on our little hill farm and we regularly lamb twins, triplets and have even managed a set of quads in 2023! We keep a happy flock, and their meat reflects their outside, grass-fed slow life, style. Their meat is sold at the Hogget stage, 18 months old, Herdy hogget is a very flavoursome but not gamey meat, perfect for roasts, kofta’s, curries or anything you would make from lamb but would like a more rounded flavour.
The farm shop at Grobdale is open 10am – 4pm every day (unless the shop sign at the track end reads differently) the shop comprises of a freezer containing our pork and hogget, jars of our own bees honey and sometimes eggs if the cottage guests haven’t snaffled them all up.
Pork
Link sausages in 6’s or 12’s, Cumberland sausages, back bacon, streaky bacon, pork belly, filet, ham and roast joints, we generally have a good selection of pork in stock.
Herdy Hogget
Upto 12 days dry aged and only available for a short season usually October/ November but always worth asking for, though it does sell out very quickly. Hogget will be available as shoulder joints, minced or cubed leg meat, cutlets and chops.
Eggs
We keep both chickens and ducks, they are happiest laying eggs busily from march till October but we manage a few in the colder months but possibly only on request.
Honey
We currently have two hives that produce our honey, we jar the summer runny honey and also a later heather honey that is much thicker, stronger in taste but has amazing uses both culinary and medicinally. Our honey sells very well and so when ours is sold we then also stock my neighbour Quaterlands honey jars.