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| The Three Locks Farm is owned and run by myself, Chris
Atkins and my wife, Eve. We are helped on a daily
basis by Eve's Parents, Paul and Pauline, and when our grown up daughters, Bethan & Rhiannon, return home they readily lend a hand. |
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| It has been a long held dream that one day we
would be able to produce our own quality food, knowing
how it has been grown or raised and ensuring the
highest possible standards of welfare for our animals
are met, from birth to butcher. |
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We purchased the land, now
known as The Three Locks Farm, on 6th August 2015,
after a long 4+ year search. We have be astounded
by the support we have received from our lovely
neighbours, local farmers and local people. Their
support and help have helped us quickly grow into
an already thriving farm & business.
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| We are passionate about three main
things, firstly, the animals. |
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| We want to know that our animals don't
just meet the requirements to be classified as 'free
range', as to be perfectly frank, those standards
leave a lot to be desired! We well exceed those
standards and give our livestock almost pet status.
They all have names, even those destined for the
plate. Knowing our animals well, means that we know
where and when they like their scratches and what
their favourite food is. It also means we know instantly
when something is not quite right, and can identify
any sick animals quickly, quite often before any
major symptoms show. Having been a vegetarian for
20 years, people often cannot understand how I can
now eat my own animals, but, I know they've had
the best life and the quickest death, what I now
can't do is eat meat that I don't have that knowledge
of! |
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| Secondly, the product. Be it eggs, pork, lamb, honey, turkey or chicken, quality is key. We have very purposefully chosen traditional,
native breeds. The chickens lay less eggs per year
than a commercial chicken. The sheep and pigs are
far more slower growing and therefore not economically
viable for the commercial market, but both, taste
wise are leagues apart. |
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| Meat production in the British Isles
has for many years been driven by economic considerations
- the requirement to produce animals which grow
faster but eat less food - and by an overriding
obsession with leanness in meat. The result has
been meat which may look good on the sales counter
but which is often tough and tasteless. |
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| The Three Locks Farm meat has been
produced with superior taste and texture as a primary
consideration. It therefore has a higher fat content
than most modern meat, which greatly enhances its
taste and succulence. Some people like to eat the
fat, others don't, but it is important that the
meat is cooked with its fat. Those who don't like
fat should look on it like the sediment in a good
bottle of wine - you don't drink it but it needs
to be there! |
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| And thirdly, education. We firmly
believe that children (and some adults!) need to
be aware that sausages do not grow on trees. There
is a lot of naivety around farming, we are striving
to run an ethical and informative farm. For example,
we hatch our own chickens. At least 50% of a hatch
will typically be boys, boys are pretty useless
at laying eggs! |
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| Commercially all boy chicks are culled
at a day old, we grow our boys, they are given the
same free range life as the girls until they reach
sexual maturity when they are humanely dispatched
for the table. We respect each life, nothing is
ever wasted or taken for granted. |
