A Guide to Our Lamb: Spring Lamb, Hogget & Mutton

Lamb has been a staple of the country butchers' trade in the Dales and Fells for centuries.

The reason why mutton and lamb has long been traditionally farmed here is the terrain makes it difficult for beef herds or pigs to thrive.

Our sheep on the other hand are adapt converters of wild grasses, flower, and herbs found on the harsh moorlands in the Dales and Fells into rich and succulent meat. They require little maintenance, and can roam freely on the valley tops.

However there is more to our flocks than their grazing. There are subtle changes in our seasonal offerings of our lamb.

Spring Lamb or new season lamb is considered a delicacy, and is the most tender lamb we sell, with a characteristic pink colour and a firm texture . Typically it starts at five months old up to 12 months or when the lambs lose the four pairs of baby teeth they have. The meat is much more delicate and sweeter than older lamb, as it hasn't matured on the wild pastures & forage that develop those robust lamby flavours.

Our regular lamb (hogget) is older at 12 months onwards or until it loses its milk teeth & its first pair of permanent incisors are visible. The key difference of hogget to spring lamb is the well developed and deeper flavour owing to the wild grazing & foraging a hogget goes through. The terroir of wild heathers, grasses, flowers & herbs as well as the landscape up here in the dales makes our lamb unique & distinctive in flavour.

That means you can taste test all our lamb and notice the differences in character. This is something we're proud of: It means our lamb isn't anonymous but boasts flavours tied to the landscapes in which we work.

The oldest is mutton, which is typically taken from animals over two years old or the moment the sheep gains its second set of permanent incisors. Under appreciated for so long, but now with the support from the likes of ourselves & other quality retailers along with a growing interest from top chefs buoyed by a growing demand from the public, this prized culinary speciality is returning to menus, kitchens & shops right across Britain. We sell mutton when we believe it's at its best, in the autumn & winter months from October through to March. Mutton gives a much deeper, richer & maturer flavour than hogget, which lends itself to wintery slow cooks & stews, long braises & casseroles. Why not explore our lamb recipes and guide on how to cook lamb here.