 Served to the G20 leaders by Jamie Oliver, Welsh Lamb is flavour of the month. So, in celebration of the Pascal Lamb, our Producer of the Month is farmer Rowland Pritchard and his neighbours Colin and Vicky Williams, who teamed up in 2004 to market their produce as Gower Salt Marsh Lamb. The 4,000 acres of Llanrhidian salt marsh, where the lambs graze, is part of the National Trust's Weobley Castle Farm on the North Gower estate in Wales. The lambs spend most of their lives on these tidal marshes, feeding on grasses, samphire, sea lavender, sorrel and thrift. Their diet, particularly rich in iodine, is what gives them a distinctive, rich flavour sought after by connoisseurs and top chefs
The lamb is killed locally and is sold boxed as a half or whole lamb, by a local butcher, who also helps on the farm. The boxes include a sprig of samphire and a recipe card. Future plans include selling smaller cuts of meat such as chops and steaks in presentation boxes for special occasions, as well as gourmet sausages and burgers flavoured with redcurrant and rosemary or North African spices
Why do you do what you do?
Colin: If you mean farming in general it's because that's all I know!
Rowland: We'd always farmed the Salt Marshes but sold our lambs through the ‘ normal ’ market because that was the way things had always been. We were encouraged to ’go for it ’ and given a great deal of practical help and advice by our local machinery ring and the Wales Co-operative Centre. It felt like a huge risk but has proved to be worth it!
Vicky: I knew about Salt Marsh Lamb from travel in France and knew how prized it was - when I met Colin I couldn't believe they were not selling it as a delicacy! I do it now because I love the fact they are finally being recognised for the 'special' way their flocks are managed.
What achievement are you most proud of?
Colin: Having farmed all my life, I am proud of the fact that I have now turned my hand to creating the 'end-product', for example, lamb burgers - particularly as people are always telling me how much they love them.
Rowland: Just the fact that it has been such a success is good enough for me.
Vicky: Being one of the 2007 winners of the National Trust's Fine Farm Produce Awards was brilliant.
What is your most memorable moment?
Colin: Being on TV - making the 'Wild Gourmet' programme, realising just what a long process filming is - and watching the presenters struggle to cut swedes in exchange for some lamb to cook was great fun!
Rowland: Meeting Henrietta Green at the 2007 National Trust Fine Farm Produce Awards - particularly her giving us a rave review!
Vicky: Meeting Jimmy Doherty when he came to help Colin gather the Marsh for one of his TV programmes - he was lovely!!
If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you do to encourage more people to eat British food?
Colin: I would try to shift the monopoly off the supermarkets and push to improve their labelling of products.
Rowland: Close the supermarkets! (Can I get away with saying that?)
Vicky: Ensure a fair farm gate price gets to British Producers and perhaps place an eco-tax on air freighted foods - that might encourage people to think Seasonal a bit more.
Favourite food and why?
Colin: Lambs Kidneys for lunch when we're cutting and packing during the season - as fresh as you'll ever get them and, because the others are less keen on them I get the lion's share!
Rowland: Home-cooked Roast Dinner - not necessarily Lamb. It's just the best!
Vicky: I should really say Lamb shouldn't I? But really its Curry - have always loved it and it was the first type of food I started to cook for myself and for friends. Obviously I often now make it with our lamb which is delicious - much to the horror of Colin's mother and sister!
What are your predictions for the future of British food?
Colin: I fear that Food Security may become a real issue - our ability to continue to produce enough to feed ourselves may become a reality if bio-fuel production takes land away from food production - this would be a worrying trend.
Rowland: Shortages could be a real possibility if we're not careful.
Vicky: I'd hope to see a real increase in the availability of truly local food. Our lamb is all born and bred on our own farms, spends most of it's life grazing the completely natural habitat of the Salt Marsh and is slaughtered at a local abattoir less than 5 miles away . You can't get better than that.
If you were an advertising executive what slogan would you use to promote British food?
Colin: 'Make Sure It's British'
Rowland: 'Eat British Meat - It's a real treat!'
Vicky: Catchy slogans are all well and good but good food speaks for itself.
Credit crunch tip?
Colin: Buy seasonally and at source wherever possible.
Rowland: Eat natural whole foods - dump the ready meals.
Vicky: Get cooking fresh, local or British food and from scratch whenever possible. Take Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's advice and change the way we think about food. My mum says chicken was a real treat when she was a child - unfortunately as a nation we seem to have got to the stage where we treat all foods as a right , even to the detriment of animal welfare or the cycle of the seasons - this must have a financial and nutritional cost to what we put on our plates.
What's on the menu this evening?
Colin: Homebred Beef mince and seasonal veg.
Rowland: Roast dinner.
Vicky: Ditto Colin
How can people get hold of your produce?
We have a website - www.gowersaltmarshlamb.co.uk which gives more information about our Salt Marsh Lamb and through which you can email enquiries. However, because we want to retain the personal service aspect of a small business, we only take orders over the telephone - so please ring Vicky on 01792 391421 or Rowland on 01792 390012. Our lamb is also available direct from the farm at Weobley Castle, Llanrhidian, North Gower, SWANSEA, SA3 1HB.
Remember when buying lamb to look tor The Quality Standard Mark [click here].
For your free copy of the latest Tuck-In recipe booklet call 0870-6063030 or visit this link to download a copy.
| 
