Langley Chase Organic Farm Wins Best Organic Lamb In Britain
At National Organic Food Awards

24 October 2003: Langley Chase Organic Farm won the lamb category of the Soil Association’s prestigious Organic Food Awards, recognising the farm’s rare breed Manx Loghtan lamb as the best organic lamb in Britain. The farm's lamb and mint burgers were also commended.

Top TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, presented farm owners Bill and Jane Kallaway with the award at a ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

Langley Chase is a small organic farm run by Jane Kallaway. The lambs are naturally and slowly reared on the farm’s organic pastures and sold both locally and, via its website www.langleychase.co.uk, to customers around the country.

Raymond Blanc, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Sophie Grigson joined other food experts and top chefs to decide this year’s winners. The judging panel said: "Langley Chase Organic Lamb produced dark cuts of meat with a distinctive taste, with an excellent grassy flavour and nicely tender.

Langley Chase rears Manx Loghtan sheep a striking multi-horned rare breed, thought to have been introduced into the UK by the Vikings. The Manx Loghtan also produces very healthy meat. The Scottish Agricultural Colleges found Manx Loghtan lamb to be lower in fat and cholesterol than commercial breeds.

Mrs Jane Kallaway said:“We are passionate about delivering the finest quality lamb in a transparent manner. Throughout 2003 we have developed a series of educational open days and joined the environmental Countryside Stewardship scheme. This award, from such distinguished judges, justifies our hard work and careful management methods and will assist us in engaging the public in understanding organic food and farming.”

This is not the first time Langley Chase Organic lamb has received critical acclaim. The 2001 and 2002 Organic Food Awards saw the farm win second and third place respectively in the lamb category. The farm has also been included in the BBC book Rick Stein’s Guide To The Food Heroes of Britain and its lamb cooked in hay by Mark Hix, chef director of The Ivy, for his TV food programme, Eat Up.

Lambs are available each year from autumn onwards and are cut and jointed to each customer's individual requirement by a Soil Association accredited butcher.

Goods can be collected from the farm, with prior appointment or delivered direct to the customer's door. All goods are vacuum packed in insulated cool boxes with farm information. Lambs are sold either whole or half.