This is the home of Neil and Lynda Perkins who farm the National Trust owned land along with Neil’s father, Roger, who in turn farmed here with his father. Over the years four generations of the family have farmed the Welsh hillsides and valleys.
“There’s no doubt, we’re very lucky to live and work here,” says Neil. “The countryside is some of the most beautiful in Britain and when you look out from the top of the hill you can see right across to Snowdonia – sometimes as far as Ireland.”
“The strength of the Lleyn is that they’re excellent mothers and can be trusted to take great care of their lambs,” says Neil. Great mums they may be but the Lleyns alone would not produce either the quality or quantity of meat that Neil requires.
“Our rams are all Suffolks and they give the lambs their meatiness,” he says. Suffolks are the result of cross breeding the old English breeds of Southdowns and Norfolk Horned sheep. The Southdowns contributed their meatiness and wool quality to the new breed while the Norfolk Horned brought their hardiness.
Originally, Neil bought in the rams he needed but his wife Lynda, also from a Welsh farming family, decided to begin breeding her own flock of Suffolks. She is now secretary of the Dyfed Suffolk Sheep Breeder's Association and the flock has become a major part of the farming enterprise. She was also recently named the NFU Cymru/Natwest Wales Woman Farmer of the Year.
“This means that every lamb that leaves here is pure Dinas” says Neil. All Neil’s lamb carries the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) mark to protect high-quality product names from misuse and imitation and to help consumers by giving them information about the specific character of the products. The mark protects all Europe’s most famous and prestigious produce from champagne and quality wines to cheese, ham, sausage, olives, beer, even regional bread, fruit and vegetables.
The PGI provides assurance that only lambs and cattle born and reared in Wales and slaughtered in an approved abattoir can be marketed as Welsh. The stock must also be fully traceable. With inspections at every stage of the supply chain, Welsh lamb’s quality standards, food safety and traceability are first class and customers can be assured that when they buy produce labelled ‘Welsh lamb’ they are getting just that.
The lambs go to market at between 12 weeks and 9 months old – those, that is, that Neil doesn’t put aside for his own family and the guests staying at the farm’s holiday cottages.
I’m always surprised that many people consider lamb somehow inferior to beef,” he says. ”To my mind, quality Welsh lamb is every bit as enjoyable. There’s really nothing to beat a roast leg of lamb in the winter or chops on the barbecue in summer. When we serve our own lamb to our guests they become converts overnight.”
Like most local farmers, Neil is a member of the National Farmers’ Union and is quick to praise its work on the farmers’ behalf.
“It’s good to know someone is fighting your corner,” he says. “The NFU understands what’s really happening in the countryside and it’s active at all levels – local, regional and national. If we have concerns, we know we can voice them to our local representative and we know they will be dealt with or passed on to the appropriate level within the organisation.”
Also supporting Neil and his fellow Welsh producers is the Welsh meat promotion agency, Hybu Cig Cymru, whose marketing manager Bill Joyce underlines the growing popularity of Welsh lamb throughout the UK. “In the South East of England, for instance, sales of Welsh lamb have now, for the first time, overtaken New Zealand lamb. “Neil also, of course, has Prime Meats firmly on side, strongly promoting Welsh lamb and always including the Welsh Lamb logo to support its provenance. Because of its outstanding succulence and flavour, Prime Meats has no hesitation in recommending it as some of the best meat in the world.
However, although Neil more than appreciates the support of his partners, it’s probably not the first thing upper most in his mind as he gazes out over this particularly beautiful 500-acre corner of the land of his fathers.
“It’s a tough life, there’s no doubt,” he says, “but nothing could be as rewarding as seeing these animals grow and do well in this lovely place. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
