Todenham Manor Farm highlights importance of locally sourced produce with field to fork day

Deep in the North Cotswold countryside lies the picturesque village of Todenham, on the outskirts of which is the manor house and farm that was purchased by self-confessed city girl Irayne Paikin and her husband 10 years ago.

They pride themselves on the sustainability and quality of the meat they produce, right through from their field to your fork.

(Todenham Manor Farm founder Irayne Paikin with a new born piglet. All pictures: Kirstie Young)

I arrived on a sunny early-autumn morning and was welcomed by the team. Irayne was running late because she was busy in the farmhouse baking fresh bread and chocolate brownies for us, we let her off the hook!

When Irayne arrived, complete with said delicious brownies, we slipped on our wellies and made our way to visit some of her livestock while she explained her farming philosophy.

“It’s about producing the best product we can”, said Irayne.

“It’s about how it’s reared, butchered and packaged and about showing people why local produce is better”.

Irayne, who says she knew nothing about farming before moving from London to the Cotswolds, started with a group of Gloucester Old Spot pigs and has since taken on Middle Whites and Saddlebacks as well as South Devon cattle and Aberdeen Angus.

The welfare of the livestock at the 800-acre farm is fantastic with all the animals given plenty of space to lead their lives. They are happy and live longer than commercially bred livestock in excellent conditions which is in line with the whole purpose of Irayne’s farm.

Irayne said she quickly realised how important the process of field to fork was and central to that was her desire to keep everything local. This means using an abattoir just three miles down the road and has even led to her building an on-site butchery to process all the meat.

“Everyone has got their own way of doing things but what I feel is that this is the real way”, said Irayne.

The farm supplies local supermarkets and welcomes nearby residents, who can place an order to their precise requirements, whether it’s just a couple of pork chops or one of their specialist hampers.

We arrived at the butchery where the team taught us how they use the meat to make burgers and sausages, which includes their own recipe. Just salt, pepper and onions, proof of how Todenham likes to keep things simple and put the quality of the meat itself centre-stage.

Piping sausages was all very Generation Game but it turns out I’m a natural and I left feeling like I’d missed my calling as a butcher.

We made our way to the farmhouse for the final stage of our field to fork experience, the fork bit. A fantastic spread was laid on and Irayne’s bread was still warm but once again the award-winning meat was the star of the show.

Sausages, burgers and steak, all simply cooked but from carefully reared animals. I’d seen how Irayne’s ideals had shaped her farm, how the welfare of the animals is paramount and how she keeps everything local.

Now I was able to experience exactly what that means. A decade on from her move to the countryside, Irayne has built not just a farm but a legacy by which her beliefs are practised and food in which her values are enjoyed.

For more information and to see the quality of their products yourself, go to todenhammanorfarm.co.uk