a four legged royal feast...

Prince Charles is soon to be sixty and he's been promised a right royal feast on his birthday. In a recent interview in the National Trust Magazine, he says that he would not be disappointed if mutton was on the menu, and knowing how he has often praised local Cumbrian farmers, we suggest his first choice might be mutton from Herdwicks.

The farmhouse at Yew Tree Farm in Coniston, with its grazing Herdwicks, is one of Cumbria's iconic views. The farm may have featured in the Miss Potter film, but now it has a fame all of its own, at least in the foodie world. Waitrose and Country Living Magazine have together been looking for the finest British fare, produced using traditional skills, innovative production and an emphasis on true quality. From over 200 entries, 18 finalists were identified, including two from Cumbria - Yew Tree Farm and Lizzie's Homemade. Yew Tree Farm came out as a winner, being awarded the title of "Made in Britain Food Producer of the Year 2008". Graham Cassie from Waitrose said "Yew Tree Farm impressed us with the outstanding quality, tenderness and rich flavour of their Herdwick meat".

They were also praised for their dedication to exceptionally high standards of animal welfare and environmentally friendly farming practices. At Artisan-food.com, we have long been supporters of Caroline and Jon at Yew Tree Farm, so it's great to see them get some national recognition. They sell their meat under the brand of Heritage meats, and you can click here to read our article on them when they were our producer of the month. You can buy Yew Tree Farm's meat online and it comes with a guarantee, "if you don't enjoy it we'll give you your money back". Now that's what I call putting your money where your mouth is.

Content and photography supplied by www.artisan-food.com, funded by Distinctly Cumbrian.