ISSUE 7 Christmas 2020
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HERD ISSUE 7 *FREE-RANGE STUFFED TURKEY BREAST Christmas 2020 (See recipe on page 10) FEATURING OUR “CUT SMALLER” RANGE 10 CONTENTS MEET THE TEAM 02 LOCKDOWN ON CASTLEMEAD FARM 04 WELCOME SLOW-GROWN CHRISTMAS BIRDS 08 TURKEY RECIPE 10 It’s very hard to summarise the last 12 months at field&flower. SOUS VIDE 11 As you can imagine, we have a risk document to help us think about the challenges we GRASS-FED CHRISTMAS BEEF 12 might encounter as a small business. You won’t be surprised to hear that a global pandemic wasn’t listed in that document. The biggest risk we’d ever unaccounted for was a few years CHRISTMAS TRIMMINGS 13 ago when a fox helped himself to several hundred turkeys. How times change. CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST 14 The last 6 months have seen the business deal with significant changes and challenges. SALMON RECIPE 16 We have been fortunate enough to keep our doors open so that we can support you, our customers, and we’re proud of the way our team has adapted to deal with a very different BOXING DAY 18 field&flower. The small team we had in March has grown significantly and they have worked OUR PIG FARMER SIMON PRICE 20 day and night to keep our service running smoothly – for which we are exceptionally grateful. FREE-RANGE CHRISTMAS PORK 22 We would like to give a special word of thanks to Liz, our Operations Office Manager. Liz managed the process of keeping everyone safe in our operations base, strategically FARESHARE SOUTHWEST 24 planning shifts and creating work bubbles to ensure the team could continue with their jobs CHRISTMAS SET BOXES & HAMPERS 26 in a safe and efficient way. This is no mean feat at the best of times, so in Covid times (with night shifts, new team members and an influx of orders) it was, quite simply, a heroic effort. FUN FOR THE LITTLE ONES 28 During lockdown we set up an NHS initiative that is still running today, prioritising customers CHRISTMAS FAQS 29 working in the national health service. We also increased our support for FareShare South West, who we’ve been working with for the past two years, donating 200,000 meals to date. You can help us to continue supporting them with their FoodStock 2020 campaign this Christmas (see page 25). Of course, with hospitality closing we also began supporting our free-range farmers by utilising stock that was going to be wasted. Our farmers are the hidden heroes in this pandemic in our opinion, and it saddens us to know they have been undermined by the recent Agricultural Bill, despite their stoicism throughout lockdown. You can read more about Stu, our poultry farmer, and the challenges he continues to face on page 5. We have been planning Christmas since July and we are really looking forward to delivering those turkeys and getting some rest! Thank you for your kind words, patience and custom over the last 12 months, everyone at field&flower really appreciates it. Here’s to 2021. FIELD&FLOWER CO-FOUNDERS MEET THE TEAM Not much is certain this year, but we can be sure that we’ll have a good groan and a laugh about some dodgy Christmas cracker jokes. We asked OLIVER FLORA MARC JD the team to share their favourites (get ready for some serious cheese). What do you call How do you know when Why did the Turkey I’ve bought my wife a Santa's helpers? Santa's in the room? cross the road? fridge for Christmas… . it opens she when up light A: Subordinate clauses. Subordinate A: presents. his sense can You A: Chicken. wasn’t he Because A: A: I can’t wait to see her face face her see to wait can’t I A: JAMES M JAMES F MOLLY STEPHEN HARRIET SUE HELEN LIZ What did Father Christmas How did Mary and Joseph Why did no one bid What do you call a Why was the turkey What kind of motorbike Why is a turkey never What do you call a do when he went know Jesus’ weight when for Rudolph and Blitzen kid who doesn't believe in the pop group? does Santa ride? hungry at Christmas? snowman with a six pack? speed dating? he was born? on eBay? in Santa? one with drumsticks! with one A: Because he was the only the was he Because A: Davidson. Holly A A: stuffed! It’s A: A: An abdominal snowman. abdominal An A: A: He pulled a cracker. a pulled He A: manger. a in weigh a had They A: deer. two were they Because A: A: A rebel without a Claus. a without rebel A A: LUKE ANNA LOTTIE TOM LOCK LEEROY BETH PAUL DARREN How does Santa Who do Santa’s helpers What did Mrs. Claus say How did the bauble get What did one sheep Why are Christmas Why did the Grinch go How does an elf get like his pizza? call when they’re ill? to Santa Claus when she addicted to Christmas? say to the other on trees so bad at knitting? to the off licence? to Santa’s workshop? looked up in the sky? Christmas morning? the holiday spirit. holiday the trees his whole life! whole his trees A: Baaaaaah Humbug! Baaaaaah A: needles. many too have They A: for looking was He A: A: Deep pan, crisp and even. and crisp pan, Deep A: Service! Elf National The A: dear! rain, like Looks A: By-icicle. A: A: He was hooked on on hooked was He A: DOM HARRIET FRANCESCA ABI STUART NED MAC ARTHUR What do sheep What do snowmen Who hides in a bakery What do snowmen A gingerbread man went Why did Santa Claus What’s a reindeer’s How did the sausage say at Christmas? eat for lunch? at Christmas? have for breakfast? to the doctor’s complaining get a parking ticket? favourite singer? dog get around? of a sore knee. “Have you tried icing it?” icing tried you “Have zone. parking snow A: A Merry Christmas to Ewe! to Christmas Merry A A: Icebergers! A: spy mince A A: A: “A sore knee?” the doctor said. said. doctor the knee?” sore “A A: a in sleigh his left He A: Beyonsleigh. A: A: Snowflakes! A: A: Dachshund through the snow. the through Dachshund A: HERD 3 STUART PERKINS STU OUR FREE-RANGE POULTRY FARMER Stu’s turkeys, chickens and geese roam and forage freely, darting between hedgerows, catching grubs, and sheltering under natural cover that Stu has planted for them. Slowly grown in the Somerset countryside, because quality flavour can’t be rushed. JAMES M LOCKDOWN ON CASTLEMEAD FARM By Molly Hodgen or Stuart Perkins, normal life on the during the pandemic. But the predictions, the protein to produce tender meat, whilst farm can’t be switched off overnight. uncertainty and tough new farm life remains wet-plucking, the cheaper alternative, FWith more than two months lead time a painful reality, particularly as we approach prevents any such process due to the birds to produce our slow-grown chickens, the a time of year that ordinarily brings near spoiling easily. Birds that have been rushed decision to scale back stock needed to be certain security. Back in June this year through their growth period will also spoil made in January (which would have been a (when his day old turkey poults were due to from hanging, as fewer fat deposits means decision that verged on insanity, as not even arrive on the farm), Stu and his team were dryer meat that only worsens when left to the most pessimistic among us could have sat questioning just how many turkeys they hang. predicted what was going to happen on need, what sizes, and whether the invest- March 23rd of this year). ment in stock will make or break his survival. When you buy a cheaper bird you are likely to be eating a male turkey stag that has The lockdown devastated Stu and his team. While farm life persists as a balancing act been slaughtered at 5 or 6kg. These birds Even now, the effects continue to ripple between satisfying demand and minimis- mature naturally at 20kg, so the result is an through his farm as the hospitality industry ing waste, farming itself, and the standards immature bird with minimal fat cover, poor remains fragile at best (being one of the first that Stu upholds, is a constant that remains in taste and no benefit from game-hanging. industries to feel the restrictions rip through unchanged. There is certainly comfort in in full force). In ordinary times, Stu relies hearing our friend and farmer talk about his There is no doubt that short-cuts might on restaurant trade for a crucial avenue of free-range birds (on his very first zoom call, seem tempting when you’ve faced the business. During the pandemic, this was cut no less) while juggling the backdrop of chaos toughest year of your career, but despite off with little more than a couple of weeks’ that has underhandedly overtaken normal lockdowns, restaurant closures and notice, far too late to adjust his stock levels life. uncertain demand, Stu remains committed accordingly. to high-welfare and free-range farming. Producing a quality free-range bird is not Rearing slow-grown, British turkeys that In 30 years of farming, the lockdown pre- just a case of letting the birds roam freely. we’re proud to promote. sented challenges that neither Stu or any of From birth through to slaughter, the entire his team had faced before.