The Hampshire’s thriftiness, ease of growth and carcass and eating qualities are key to success for Hertfordshire young farmer

When we spoke to Harry Elsden back in 2019 when he was a self employed agriculture contractor from Hertfordshire he had built up a medium-sized flock in just seven years and sold in the region of 500 lambs direct to customers annually. Coming from a non farming family he worked hard to build up his business.

2019 story – To maximise the output from lamb sales, he operates a mainly flying flock of 270 mixed breed ewes. Some three-quarters of the total go to Hampshire Down tups from his small pedigree ‘Hertford’ flock, while the Hampshire crosses are put to a Hampshire cross Beltex which he breeds himself. He finds this crossbreeding system ideally suited to his farming practices and to the demands of his customers.

“The Hampshire down ram brings the thriftiness, ease of growth and carcass and eating qualities that are essential for making my policy work,” says Mr Elsden. “The lambs have rapid growth rates and the ability to finish off grass with minimal or no concentrate input”

He adds “Another Hampshire Down trait is good carcase quality and it has the potential to achieve the top grading specification. Most of my lambs will grade E and U, with a handful of R grades. I aim for a 42kgs plus animal which will reach 22-23kgs deadweight. “As a sire, the Hampshire Down cross Beltex will produce a very similar lamb but whiteheaded, although markings are not important to me. These lambs will improve high carcass grade consistency, without compromising eating quality and growth rates.” Lamb is supplied every month of the year, with the exception of February and March. Therefore, some 20 Hampshire Down ewes and a similar number of commercials are lambed in December and January with the main flock being lambed from mid-March.

Concentrate feeding is not offered until the month before lambing, when they will build up to 0.5kgs/head/day; the winter-lambers are also fed for the first eight weeks. The early lambs are creep-fed, but the rest will finish off grass.

Direct Marketing is key to Mr Elsden’s sheep enterprise success one sales avenue is the Tewin Bury Hotel in Welwyn, Hertfordshire where Mr Elsden rents the surrounding ground. Lamb features prominently on the menu and on average the hotel takes three or four lambs each week throughout the year. One of the Tewin Bury’s young chefs, Lucy Wigmore, was a finalist in the 2019 M Restaurants and Bookatable ‘Young Chef of the Year’ award. Miss Wigmore finds the meat versatile and complementary to a wide range of ingredients, adding that Hampshire Down lamb has exceptional flavour and colour.

Other local businesses, including a farm shop, a local golf club, several butcher shops and a number of independent restaurants also take lamb. A fixed price is negotiated per kilo deadweight for customers including butchers, while about 100 lamb boxes containing a variety of cuts. The boxes are usually delivered to the customer direct from the abattoir. “My customers want top quality meat and they like a certain amount of fat cover, to improve its flavour,” says Mr Elsden. “They are also looking for a slightly heavier carcase than some of the alternative markets demand and a 21kgs deadweight lamb is ideal for their requirements.”

Mr Elden said “My aim for the pedigrees is not primarily to win at shows, although I enjoy exhibiting my livestock,” he notes. “The goal is to produce the type of Hampshire Down tup that will suit the commercial farmer. “My Hampshire Downs must be able to convert forage on a range of different types of pasture and survive over winter in some fairly exposed fields.”

2025 – We revisited Mr Elsden in 2025 and a lot has changed but he still stands behind the easy and quick fleshing abilities and eating quality of the Hampshire Down. In 2020 during Covid, Mr Elsden decided that opening a butchers shop would be the way forward. This shop is a concession within a Garden Centre and such is the demand for the quality meat that five butchers are employed within the business.  Mimram Valley Butchers still supplies lamb and other meat to a number of hotels, restaurants and wedding venues delivering 6 days a week.

To fit in with the new business, 100 Dorset ewes are lambed to the Hampshire tup in September and all are lambed outside with a focus on finishing on grass. The Hertford flock of Pedigree Hampshire Downs is up to 25 ewes with a view to getting to around 40 and all lambs are sold through the business. The aim of the pedigree flock is still to breed commercial rams that will be able to produce lambs that will deliver the goods off forage systems.