air dried herdwick...

Cumbria's farmer and master butcher, Andrew Sharp, fronts a co-operative of 27 farmers from the Lake District who breed Herdwick Sheep and Galloway Cattle. These old breeds thrive on the Cumbrian Fells, giving lamb, mutton, beef and pink veal of unmatched rich flavour and dense texture. Mutton has enjoyed something of a renaissance recently with a campaign initiated by HRH The Prince of Wales and proudly promoted by Farmer Sharp, who travels from the Lake District to attend London's Borough Market each week.

One of the more recent products that Farmer Sharp has brought to the marketplace is air dried mutton. Based on techniques used for curing and air drying ham in Italy, Farmer Sharp has perfected this technique to produce a 3 month air dried mutton that has started to win praise from many quarters and has also won some awards. The strong flavour of the air dried mutton should be matched with equally distinctive ingredients, such as a caper and red onion mash, lightly steamed asparagus combined with a crisp salad leaf drizzled with a sweet salad dressing or other such tasty combinations. The air dried mutton is a potent product, and if you like your meat red and full of taste it is sure to appeal. It can be purchased from Farmer Sharp's stall in London, from his shop in Lindale, or by mail order from www.farmersharp.co.uk.

Content and photography supplied by www.Artisan-Food.com, funded by Distinctly Cumbrian.