Top chefs and restaurants teams visit the Rhug Estate

Earlier this week more than 30 chefs descended on the Rhug Estate in Corwen, Denbighshire, to meet Lord Newborough, take part in a tour of his organic farm and enjoy a lunch in the Bison Grill on the Estate, sampling products from the farm cooked by chef Elliott Knox.

Chefs and their colleagues from front of house at restaurants including Marcus Wareing, One Aldwych and Bokan, London, joined a team from the Fat Duck en route and arrived in time to sit down to a two-course lunch. The main was Rhug organic Salt Marsh lamb two ways: pan-roasted loin of lamb and neck fillet bonbon, served with chargrilled hispi cabbage, rosemary hasselback carrot, cream savoy and red wine jus.

Lord Newborough, owner of the estate, who hosted the visit, said: "We invite aspiring chefs, head chefs and front of house managers here to find out more about what goes into creating the delicious organic meat we produce here on the farm. We are delighted to be able to call some of the best places in London our customers and the purpose of the visit is two-fold. The chefs enjoy coming to the farm to learn more about how the organic meat is produced and we enjoy talking to them about the amazing dishes they create with our organic meat."

During the visit the visitors enjoyed a butchery demonstration by the Rhug's production manager Gary Jones, a tour of Rhug's cutting plant and a tour of the farm with Farm Manager Gareth Jones, where they saw Japanese Sika, cattle, chickens and bison.

Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Production Wales) who sponsored the chefs visit is also the approving authority for the Estate, ensuring that the lamb from the farm meets the specifications of the European Commission's Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation is labelled and sold to consumers as Welsh Lamb.

Rhug Farm is a self-contained ‘field to plate' operation operating the highest standards of sustainability. It is renowned for producing high-quality meat: beef, lamb, chickens, geese and turkeys. The farm prides itself on using methods which embrace the highest animal welfare standards; by not routinely injecting or drenching animals and handling them at all time, which helps to minimise stress rearing happy animals which produce the best meat.

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