Savour the season as M&S delivers first-in-season West Country lamb

Southwest farmer, James Neale, from Wilkie Down Farm, has worked to deliver high-quality lamb to M&S stores across the UK two months earlier than usual.

The retailer’s new Best in Season Lamb is reared in farms across the Southwest region, with M&S being the first nationwide retailer to stock West Country Lamb this year.

James farms alongside his brother, Chris, at Wilkie Down Farm in Launceston, and has produced exceptional West Country Lamb for M&S since 2022. This year, Wilkie Down Farm is proud to provide the retailer with early-season meat, available exclusively for M&S shoppers across the country.

The west country climate and geography of Wilkie Down Farm allows for prime grass growing countryside for livestock, allowing James and his family to produce high-quality lamb reared on lush local pastures their lambs graze on. The winters are shorter in the west country, and the milder conditions allow suppliers to put their livestock out to pasture earlier in the season than other parts of the UK.

The early supply of West Country Lamb from livestock in the Southwest is also a result of many local farmers keeping Dorset ewes. The breed of sheep is renowned for being able to breed out of season, with many lambing earlier in December and January, compared to the usual Spring season familiar to the average UK commercial flock.

Now available in stores across England, M&S West Country Lamb is available in 16 lines; West Country Lamb Butterflied Leg Joint; West Country Lamb French Trimmed Cutlets; West Country ½ Leg Lamb; West Country Lamb Boneless Shoulder Joint; West Country Lamb Cutlets; West Country Lamb Loin Fillet (CW); West Country Lamb Neck Fillet; West Country Rack Of Lamb; West Country Whole Leg Lamb; West Country Lamb Shanks 2 Pack; West Country Lamb Mince 20%; West Country Diced Lamb; West Country Lamb Leg Steaks; West Country Lamb Leg Steaks; West Country Lamb Loin Fillet; West Country Lamb Rump Steak

James Neale, farmer at Wilkie Down Farm said: “We are very proud to be one of the Southwest suppliers of M&S and provide them and their customers with the first in season lamb. My family and I have been dedicated to what we do for four generations, and so ensuring our final produce has the desired premium quality and flavour is vital. We’re very lucky to be based in North Cornwall and have a vast number of lush pastures for our livestock to roam. We are delighted to see so many M&S customers already enjoying this season’s early supply.”

Steve McLean, head of agriculture and fisheries from M&S said: “It’s no secret how many of our customers love true British quality lamb and so we are thrilled – for the second year in a row – to provide them with the UK’s first new season supply into supermarkets, direct from our fantastic Southwest Select Farms. We know how vital it is to ensure our customers can enjoy the very best and to be able to supply it at M&S before anywhere else is fantastic.”