Why Organic?
At Rhug, we manage an estate that is committed to an environmentally sustainable way of caring for the land under the organic system. The uniqueness of Rhug is the total control over the whole system from livestock in the field to the finished meat on your plate. From our team of shepherds and herdsman to our butchers and shop staff, we are dedicated to providing you with an unrivalled eating experience. Our non-GM (genetically modified), low-stress system ensures a complete on-farm process giving us some of the lowest food product miles in the industry, another secret to the tenderness, flavour and succulence of Rhug meat.
Why are more people choosing Organic?
Organic Beef
Rhug organic beef is sourced from our national award-winning Aberdeen Angus herd crossed with Stabiliser bulls, located on our coastal farm near Caernarfon, where we have up to 1,000 cattle and calves. The famous Aberdeen Angus breed is renowned for its quality and flavour due to high levels of marbling within the muscle. Our calves are weaned at around ten months of age, and then transferred to our main farm at Rhug for finishing. The breed is noted for its ability to finish off grass-fed at around two years of age. While primarily grass fed, we do supplement this at the finishing stage with our own home grown organic cereals. Our beef is aged for 35 days in our dry ageing chamber lined with Himalayan salt blocks, butchered, packed and dispatched on site and overall produced in accordance with Soil Association rules, one of the highest welfare standards in the UK.
Organic Welsh Inland Lamb
Rhug Organic Lambs are born, bred, and reared on the main farm at Rhug in Corwen. This gives our flock total security of provenance. The farm rises from 500 to 1,500ft so is ideally situated to grow lush grass. The lambs are finished on organic pastures into which we sow a selection of herbs and grasses, including chicory, cocksfoot, timothy and red and white clover. This all contributes to the taste and flavour of the meat for which we have won numerous food awards. Both the lowland and highland flocks are North of England Mules. The highland flock lamb outdoors later in the season and thus we can produce lamb all year round. Like our beef, the meat is butchered by a highly-skilled team based on the farm. Our Welsh lamb has PGI status (protected geographical indication) and is recognised as some of the best lamb in the world.
Organic Salt Marsh Lamb
Our distinctively flavoured Rhug Salt Marsh Organic Lamb comes from our coastal farm near Caernarfon. We run a flock of North of England Mules again chosen because they are hardy, good mothers, prolific and ideally suited to this environment. The fields are washed by the sea in the winter and therefore grow special grasses and herbs such as sea lavender, samphire, sorrel, thrift and other saltmarsh grasses. This unique environment imparts the lamb with its distinctive and very special, sweet, light flavour that is so sought after by top chefs throughout the world. Salt Marsh lamb is a seasonal product as the grasses die back in the winter and the flavour diminishes. This is the very best of Welsh lamb and is available from June to December/January.
Organic Chicken
Our birds are slow maturing and able to free range on organic pastures for 11-16 weeks. Because of the small flock size, in line with the Soil Association standards, the birds are able to exhibit their natural behaviour. The addition of shelters in the field and perches in the houses adds to their comfort. With each batch, the huts are moved onto fresh ground which is not returned to for two years to prevent the build-up of disease. The chickens are finished in a stress free environment where they are allowed to truly roam at will, exercising all day picking and scratching in the clover rich pasture, just enjoying the freedom of outside life as well also being fed on approx. 30% home grown organic oats. This results in flavoursome firm textured meat. The highest animal welfare standards are maintained at all times and everything is strictly monitored by the Soil Association.
Organic Pork
The Duroc x Landrace breed has at least 5% higher intramuscular fat (i.e. not visible within the muscle fibers) which results in more succulent, flavoursome meat. The pigs are reared outside in individual huts and as soon as they are big enough, they can roam out onto clover rich pastures and are completely free-range. They lead a natural stress-free life with the ability to socialise with other pigs which we believe all contributes to the quality of the organic pork. The pigs are fed on the ground so root naturally in the soil picking up vital minerals in the process. As well as pork cuts we also traditionally dry cure our bacon & gammons. We source only the finest quality organic pork from Soil Association approved farms.
Organic Turkey
The acclaimed Rhug Organic Dee Valley Turkey is known for its traditional rich flavour and moist delicate meat with self-basting properties. Our organic award-winning hand-reared turkeys are produced in the most natural way, free to roam outdoors on rich fertile pastures. This natural growing process creates the fantastic taste, tenderness and meat yield the birds are famous for. Rhug Estate Organic Turkeys enjoy seven months free ranging, feeding on the finest organic oats and enjoying a stress-free life. Our birds do not require basting and take approximately one hour less than conventional Turkeys to cook, this is because they are allowed to grow entirely naturally. This also contributes to their award-winning flavour and superior texture. The first Turkeys are available for Thanksgiving towards the end of November then followed by Christmas.
Organic Goose
Rhug organic free-range geese are reared in small numbers, and are very exclusive and sought after by our customers. They live a life of pure luxury, free to roam and graze on our nutritious and lush organic pastures for seven months, so they can grow as nature intended as well as being hand-reared on homegrown organic oats which helps develop the rich, dark meat that they are renowned for. Like our Turkeys, this also means these birds take up to an hour less cooking than a conventional goose.
Organic Beef