Well I still can’t pronounce the name properly so any Welsh speakers please step forward – I believe the “Ll” should sound like a “Thl”. I do know the Welsh names definitely compete well with the Koori names I was surrounded with growing up Yarrahapinni anyone? 
But this week in the cabinet we have Llanwenog Lamb again.

One of the farmers I buy from through the Traditional Breeds Market have a small herd of Llanwenog Lambs raised on a hill in Gloucestershire, overlooking 6 counties.

Sue from Walkers Farm explains how they farm their lovely award winning Llanwenog rare breed lambs. 

   “James and I live on the Welsh borders on a small 50 acre farm perched at the top of a 1000ft hill. The local saying is that you need an extra jumper to live up here… so we wanted a native breed of sheep, which would be able to cope (with added virtues of being very easy to manage, pumps out the twins and has a decent carcase). The Llanwenog was just what we where looking for and positively thrives on our meadows above the Wye Valley. Our lamb is home bred & reared in a small (30 breeding ewes) well-tended flock. I tend not to stuff them full of concentrates but let them mature slowly on our wildflower meadow grass, which helps with flavour.”

Some pictures courtesy of Sue that do tell the story well 

This is the type of farmer that I love to use. This is as far from mass production as possible. A commercial breeder that is in it mostly for the money would have a breeding stock of 3000 ewes. I know which sheep would be getting the most love and attention.

Llanwenog are one of those hard to come by breeds that are equally revered for great meat and wool. They lamb well; have hardy mountain genes allowing them to prosper on any pastures. For more info try www.llanwenog-sheep.co.uk and www. rbst.org.uk or come visit me to eat one.

"The llanwenog lamb is a quality lamb regularly praised by rare breed butchers for carcass quality, the meat having a softer grain with good marbling and therefore sweeter texture" - Maggie Wilson.

Here is something I prepared earlier...............

These are the lambs that I will be using for Sundays Learn the Lamb, Love the Lamb Butchery class.