TASTE TALK: One woman and her dog

Lines of new-mown hay stripe the field below the house, a view framed by huge oak trees and a summer hedgerow. In a small paddock with an iron gate and a pond, half a dozen brown rams with picturesque horns are grazing. Jane Kallaway glances at the ominous clouds and wonders if the baling will be finished before the unpredicted rain sweeps in and spoils the hay.

The weather has been tricky this year, she explains. The drought in April meant the grass did not grow well in spring, while August has been so wet, the hay has not had a chance to dry; timeless concerns, for those working the land and raising livestock. It could be a scene from a Thomas Hardy novel, except for the noise of the machinery in the field. And the brown sheep are Manx Loaghtans, older than Hardy novels, a primitive breed reputedly dating back a thousand years, to the times of the Vikings.

This is Langley Chase Organic Farm, in Kington Langley, near Chippenham. Here, Jane Kallaway has raised her flock since 1998, collecting a clutch of awards for her organic lamb and mutton, and gaining a loyal following of customers who value the Langley Chase produce for its taste, the benefits to the environment, and perhaps most of all, her focus on animal welfare.

The farm only rears Manx Loaghtan sheep, a rare breed originating from the prehistoric short-tailed breeds found in isolated parts of north west Europe, where they survived on wind-swept islands, like the Isle of Man, and were not replaced by modern commercial breeds.

These sheep are small, lean and athletic, with long legs and either two or four horns. They can jump, so fences need to be high. They have brown faces and lighter brown wool, tones of coffee and chocolate truffle. Their meat is high in flavour and significantly lower in fat and cholesterol than commercial breeds. Slow to mature, they graze on Langley Chase’s organic wild-flower and herb meadows, which contributes to the award-winning taste.

Mrs Kallaway, mother of four grown-up children, has won 19 National Organic Food Awards – including Best Organic Meat, Best Organic Lamb and Best Organic Mutton in the UK. She set up the farm in response to the BSE crisis and with a desire to produce healthy food and to farm organically. She attended courses and conferences before settling on the Manx Loaghtan breed, converting the land to organic status and starting the flock.

Ably assisted by her shepherdess Faye, and Flute the sheepdog, Mrs Kallaway ensures that from birth to slaughter, her sheep have the best and most natural living conditions.

“The sheep live outside all year round, except for 24 hours at lambing time,” she explains. “The ewes lamb outside and they come into mothering pens so we can check all is well, then they go outside again.”

The flock is around 175 strong, and the farm sells lamb and mutton – the lambs slaughtered from around eight months of age, the mutton coming from animals over two years of age.

“We have ancient pastures, old ridge and furrow fields with a wonderful diversity of grasses and herbs and wild flowers, which helps give the meat its flavour,” she says. “The best pasture means the sheep have a wonderful finish on them, and they don’t run up much fat, they maintain their flavour and stay lean.”

The sheep’s “finish”, she explains, is the when the sheep reaches the required weight and shape, so it is shapely and well rounded, well covered without being fat.

“They flourish when they have good grass and sunshine,” she says. “You can’t feed them, and if the conditions aren’t good they don’t put on weight and lose their finish. They always need a happy and relaxed environment.

“The sheep always like sleeping up on a hill. Here they can follow their instincts, and graze, and have a good environment and I think it makes the meat taste better.”

As summer comes to an end, the lambs are weaned. In autumn, the grass is topped, and manure spread on the fields that have been used for hay. Soon the rams will be introduced to the field of ewes for tupping, and the year’s cycle will begin again.

When the time comes, Mrs Kallaway ensures her sheep met a humane end too. They are slaughtered at a local organic-approved abattoir and the carcases are hung for several days to perfect the flavour and tenderness of the meat. The carcases are butchered to meet the requirements of individual customers.

Lucknam Park Hotel near Colerne is a Langley Chase customer, and celebrity chef Rick Stein has also given the lamb his seal of approval, declaring, “One of my favourite sources for lamb is Langley Chase Farm.”.

Over the years she has built up a loyal and enthusiastic customer base.

“I have such nice customers,” she says. “They always give very warm-hearted feedback. We predominantly supply fresh lamb and mutton to order, but we do have some frozen. You could describe it as a taste of a thousand years. Or perhaps – a primitive breed for the modern cook.”

No part of the animal is wasted. After shearing each year, the wool is used for spinning and weaving to make jackets and knitted clothes in Germany and the UK. The farm also sells beautiful sheepskins.

The Manx Loaghtan mutton is always popular with her own family, and when gathered with a house full of children and grandchildren, Mrs Kallaway likes to roast a leg and shoulder of mutton in two roasting tins, on a base of red onions, peppers, sweet potato and courgette, with cider (not too sweet), olive oil and herbs, cooked for fifteen minutes at 200 degrees then 180 for three hours. Served with extra vegetables, mashed potato and a syrupy homemade plum sauce, she says it is a perfect dish for Boxing Day.

Mrs Kallaway has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Blue Peter. She is also on a mission to spread understanding and support for organic farming, and she organises open days and school visits to the farm.

The Langley Chase sheep and lamb is available directly from the farm, along with recipe suggestions and information, at www.langleychase.co.uk.