Celebrating Shetland Meat

The heathery hills, our lush green fields brimming with wildflowers, the shorelines scattered with seaweed and salt beaten wild herbs growing on clifftops. Our unique landscape, and the crofters who work it, is what gives Shetland reared meat its quality and character. To borrow a term from the wine industry, in Shetlands meat you can taste the “terroir” (the flavour of the environment where it is produced).
We need to appreciate our crofters who work hard through long winters and short (sometimes seemingly non-existent) summers to give us products of such brilliant quality with little food miles and easy traceability. The keepers of our native breeds, our hardy Shetland sheep who have evolved to survive the harsh Shetland winters by eating the abundant seaweed and heather rather than needing land to be cleared for pasture to keep them. Our Shetland Kye who are small in stature but tough and able to take on the elements, who turn pasture into meat that is so rich and flavoursome.
The other key players in our meat industry are of course the local abattoir, a vital part of a rural community keeping food miles low and ensuring high standards of animal welfare. As well as all of our wonderful butchers who provide us with stunning local meat, sliced up and ready to serve to consumers.
Local Shetland reared meat is something we are so lucky have.

[@glencoe1951]

Nice view of Tombolo and St.Ninians at the beginning. Can't wait to taste the local meat in August 2023.

[@gordonbradley3241]

Shetland lamb is a different meat altogether !
You get a beast thats never seen a blade of grass !
Its grazed on seaweed, heather shoots, and herbs !
Its wonderful !