National Park Hosts Traditional Breed Hot Beef Tasting at Alwinton Show 11/10/05

Northumberland National Park Authority's Drovers Project hosted a Hot Roast Beef Tasting at the Alwinton Show this weekend, to celebrate the value of locally produced meat from traditional breeds of cattle.

Blue Grey Cattle

The National Park's beef fest provided ten joints of Aberdeen Angus and Galloway meat for visitors to try. Catering was organised by a brand new business - Kielder Organic Meats - set up by Michelle and Colin Anderson of Dunterley Farm near Bellingham: Colin's mum, Hilda provided the culinary expertise. The tasting turned out to be a huge success with an equal number of the public favouring each of the breeds.

The Drovers' Project was set up to encourage grazing with traditional breeds of cattle on sites of nature conservation value, as well as to research and promote the history of cattle farming and droving in the National Park. After three grazing seasons the project team have been able to assess the results and provide recommendations to land managers about stocking levels and the value of traditional breeds on upland areas. Remarkable improvements in the quality of moorlands for wildlife have resulted from the project's work to date. The research results are soon to be published as a report.

A history of Droving in Northumberland National Park is also being published as a result of the project, and will be made available free of charge to libraries and local history groups throughout the County.

Northumberland National Park Drovers Project