Father
and son farming partnership Mike and Tim Leach of Glebelands Farm, Upton Pyne celebrates
75 years of rearing top-quality turkeys and geese specifically for the Christmas
market with the launch of a new website called ‘TastyBird’.
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| PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT AUSTIN Tim and Mike Leach of Glebelands Farm, Devon home of ‘TastyBird’ |
Free-range bronze turkeys and
geese roam freely through the fields and are fed with natural cereals from the
farm with no growth promoters or antibiotics.
White turkeys are happily housed
in straw-bedded barns with space to walk around and all poultry are reared to
full maturity and hung for up to 14 days to give a fuller flavour.
The
third generation family were originally dairy farmers with mixed-used farming
and capons. Today Glebelands Farm on the
outskirts of Exeter, has sheep and beef cattle and grow wheat, barley and oil-seed
rape on the 200 acre farm; the mainstay of the business, however, is rearing high-quality
poultry for the festive period.
Mike’s
parents married in 1939 were originally dairy farmers when Vida Leach, Mike’s mother
and Tim’s Grandmother decided to rear 50 turkey chicks to raise a bit of extra
cash for Christmas. Now in its 75th
year, the entrepreneurial farming duo have grown the thriving ‘TastyBird’
business to over 4,000 turkeys and 600 geese and ducks.
Over
the last 50 years, the family business has been supplying local reputable West
Country butchers, farm shops and the catering trade as well as the ever popular
farm-gate sales. Tim joined his father
in the business 10 years ago and since that time the farm has increased its
sales to high-quality butchers across the region from Penzance to Bristol, and via
orders through the website with deliveries across England and Wales. Moving with the times and listening to the
needs of their busy customers, they now also supply half-size small turkeys,
turkey crowns and prime turkey breast meat for easy carving with optional
chestnut, cranberry and orange stuffing.
Mike
Leach of ‘TastyBird’ said: “Tim joined me at the farm a decade ago and
the turkey business has really taken off increasing from 500 to over 5,000. The
poultry are all traditionally raised and fed cereals from the farm which is an important
factor for the modern-day consumer which has been proven with increased
awareness and sales direct from the farm and through the website. Although we have grown the business ten-fold,
we are still very much hands-on farmers at the end of the day and welcome
farm-gate sales, actively encouraging members of the public to visit the farm. This means they have the assurance of knowing
first-hand that they are getting a mature, farm-fresh turkey or goose for
Christmas. After all, it is the most important
date in the calendar for families to come together for a traditional festive
feast and they want to know they are getting the best bird that money can buy
with maximum flavour.”
The
‘Tasty Bird’ business is affiliated with The Traditional Farmfresh Turkey
Association’ (TFTA) which dictates that traditional free range bronze and barn
reared white turkeys, are grown to the highest welfare standards. The association’s ‘golden promise’ states
that traditional farm fresh turkeys are naturally reared on grass or in
woodland and fed on locally sourced feed. This means the farm produces Christmas
turkeys of the highest quality, finish, flavour and texture and presentation by
traditional methods without the use of growth promoters and by the highest
welfare and environmentally friendly means available.
Once
matured at 23 weeks, the turkeys on Glebelands Farm are slaughtered humanely in
early December under stringent regulations set by ‘The Traditional Farmfresh
Turkey Association’ (TFTA).
Tim
Leach of ‘TastyBird’ said: “We are welfare standard accredited with TFTA,
and are part of the farm assurance scheme to ensure high standards of animal
welfare. The ministry vets us to check that slaughter is done properly and we
are regularly monitored. It gives
complete peace of mind to our customers.
Our traditionally raised poultry bear no comparison to those bought at
supermarkets where they can be flavourless and often pumped with water. This
means once they are defrosted the weight on the packaging may be inaccurate. At
Glebelands Farm our turkeys and geese are grown to full maturity and to the
highest welfare standards. They are dry plucked and hung for at least seven days
according to traditional farming methods which has been handed down to us through
three generations.”
The
poultry is initially plucked by machines, a substantial investment of £20,000 made
by the entrepreneurial farmers, which removes 85% of the feathers. Finally the birds are dry-waxed and the
remaining quills removed by hand by the 15-strong labour force, most of whom
have been part of the team working at the farm for many years.
The
turkeys are then hung in large, specially made refrigeration units for up to 14
days to enhance flavour, before being eviscerated, cleaned and boxed for delivery
or collection from the farm. Tim comments: “They
are matured in temperature controlled rooms which meet stringent regulations with
regular on-site inspections by DEFRA, MHS and Trading Standards.”
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