Rhug Estate

Producer: Rhug Estate, Denbighshire
Product: Organic Aberdeen Angus Rib-eye and Organic Lamb
Region: Wales
Category: From the field, primary
What they do:
Rhug Estate in Corwen in Denbighshire is home to Lord Newborough. In 1998 he took over the running of the 12,550 acres from his father and converted it from a low-input, low-output farm that employed a total of nine people to a sustainable organic business that now employs 110 staff.
Their Aberdeen Angus herd begin their lives on Rhug’s coastal farm near Caernarfon. At ten months old, the animals are weaned and then transferred to the main Rhug Estate. Primarily grass-fed, the cattle’s diet is supplemented at the finishing stage with Rhug’s own homegrown cereals. After slaughter, the meat is dry-aged for 28 days in an abattoir on the edge of the estate.
Rhug Estate’s lambs are born, bred and reared at the main farm in Corwen. The farm’s herd of north country mule sheep are protected by the EU’s geographical indication scheme. The meat’s taste is a product of the pastures the lambs feed on – the land is sown with a selection of herbs and grasses, including chicory, cocksfoot, timothy and red and white clover, and rises from 500ft to 1,500ft.
Rhug Estate’s meat is exported to restaurants all over the world – places as far-flung as Hong Kong, the Maldives and Dubai, and the estate’s name features on menus at The Dorchester and The Ritz in London – as well as in the canteens of several schools in London’s Tower Hamlets.
What the judges said:
The Wales judging team found Rhug Estate to be outstanding in the way it prioritises animal welfare, demonstrates awareness for seasonality and works with the demands of the land through conservation. They commended the estate’s charitable work and their success in providing many local jobs.

Visit the website:Rhug Estate