Northamptonshire estate champions local food as Great British Beef Week ends
A Northamptonshire estate is encouraging people to reconnect with local food and farming as Great British Beef Week draws to a close.
Dr Johnny Wake, managing partner at Courteenhall Estate, said the growing disconnect between consumers and food production is “a problem worth solving”.
The estate has reintroduced a herd of Traditional Hereford cattle, which graze on parkland without supplementary feed, producing pasture-fed beef while supporting biodiversity. Improvements have included increased bird life and the return of species such as dung beetles.
Dr Wake said stewardship is central to the estate’s low-input farming approach and believes food production plays a key role in nutrition.
Courteenhall is also part of a research project under the ADOPT programme, backed by DEFRA and Innovate UK, examining how grass-based feeding affects beef quality.
Meat from the estate is supplied to The Ethical Butcher, with plans for a new farm shop and restaurant, The Knot, underway.
Dr Wake urged residents to visit farms, including during Open Farm Sunday, to better understand food production.