Farm Shop Encourages Ethical Xmas Shopping

07 November 2011, 16:45 PM
  • A shop in Staffordshire is encouraging shoppers to buy higher welfare meat this year by showcasing its very own quartet of turkeys

Customers visiting a Staffordshire farm shop will see a very different side to the nation’s favourite Christmas lunch following the arrival of four turkeys.

The free-range festive foursome, named Len, Alesha, Craig and Bruno after the judges on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, have taken up residence at Denstone Hall Farm Shop and Cafe, in Main Road, Denstone, near Uttoxeter.

They were brought in by farm shop owners Rupert and Emma Evans to mark the launch of their Christmas turkey season, which has already begun with scores of customers already placing their orders.

But the couple expect the birds to become a hit with visitors, who will be able to take a look at the gobblers at close quarters and watch them as they grow over the coming weeks.

Rupert said, “Because turkey is predominantly a Christmas dish and people don’t eat turkey eggs, we’re not as familiar with turkeys as livestock in their own right as we are with chickens.

“In fact, the only time most people actually see a turkey is when they’re pulling it out of the oven at Christmas, so we wanted to give our customers the opportunity to see some live turkeys at close quarters.

“We decided to name them after the Strictly judges because the show mirrors our turkey trade – it gets really busy and builds up to a great crescendo before Christmas, but then finishes just before the big day itself.”

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