Orkney Boreray Mutton Soon Available

A couple of weeks ago, we took a small group of sheep from Orkney to the John M Munro abattoir in Dingwall. A much longer trip than we’d like with no abattoir in Orkney, but by taking them ourselves we minimised journey stress and the abattoir has experienced staff who give them the respectful care we want for our sheep — essential for their welfare and the quality of the meat.

For the first time, the Shapinsay flock had sheep ready to go for mutton, so I’d like to share Jenny’s comments and photo on her experience of joining us to take them down along with some sheep from the Settisgarth flock.

"A long day south to take four very special boys away. Alfie and Arne, Bernard and Archie have had a great life and we know the staff will look after them. We are grateful to have had them for this time. After 3 years of conservation grazing in the summer and living on rented land with the lambs in the winte,r they have gone to the abattoir with some already reserved for the l'escargot bleu and Cafe St Honoré restaurants in Edinburgh, and of course to be sold by Macbeth’s Butchers.

Lovely to know they are appreciated and that their end was respectful and honouring to their lives. The horns will go to a craftsman who creates beautiful products from them and their skins will go to SkyeSkyns and come back as beautiful sheepskin rugs. No waste, unlike intensively produced fast meat.”

We love the recent comments and information about our sheep and mutton in the Scottish Food Guide, which has a link to Macbeth’s Butchers, where the mutton will be available for sale, week commencing Monday 16th August 2021.

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