Mutton Ronaldsay – A Vintage Year?

London’s gastronomes, used to some of the world’s finest delicacies, are in for a rare treat this week – Orkney mutton. Reared on North Ronaldsay, the hardy little sheep, which outnumber the human population by more than 50 to one, live on a diet of seaweed to give the succulent meat a distinctive flavour.

There are fewer than 3,000 sheep on the island and just 300 mature ewes are slaughtered each year for the table. In an attempt to broaden the appeal of mutton in general, the first shipment of the season is being escorted by farmers and chefs to the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall on Friday 31th October for a grand gala dinner.

The dinner has been arranged in an attempt to showcase the mutton to top chefs including Anton Edelmann and Antony Worrall Thompson. ‘We believe we have the finest tasting and most sustainable mutton in the UK,’ said farmer Billy Muir, one of the breeders making the trip this week.

Edward Lambert, chairman of the North Ronaldsay Sheep Fellowship, said: ‘It grazes on whichever seaweed is brought on to the foreshore by the incoming tide. When the mutton is slow cooked and done properly, the taste is second to none.’

Could this be the year for Mutton Ronaldsay?

Not the time to go wobbly!

I made it a rule that I was only ever going to post something on the blog when there was something worth saying. Now when I look back it has been an age since I posted a blog and yet so much has happened on the world stage.

 

I guess in these troubled financial times one looks around for something not to spend money on. In the hotel industry, training and marketing are usually the first victims and yet in many ways they are two of the most important things to keep going. Green initiatives are another, and yet most of them save you money in some shape or form and should be maintained.

 

The message must be – everything in moderation. Streamline, trim, maximise and modernise but now is not the time to go wobbly. Your guests will be looking for that something extra so go the extra mile, stiffen that resolve, walk tall and look the world right in the eye (Val Doonican – many years ago!)