An Aberdeenshire farmer has won a prestigious award for his slowly grown turkeys.
Craig Michie, who runs Barra Bronzes with his wife Maria on their farm near Oldmeldrum, has landed a double gold star at the Great Taste 2016 awards.
Competition for the awards is tough and of the 10,000 products judged, only 35% were given an award and of those only 878 were given a double gold star.
All products are blind-tasted by a panel of judges between April and August.
Judges rated the north-east turkeys as “outstanding” and commended the meat for its “round, long flavours”.
They said: “The dark meat is gorgeous and pleasantly moist. The breast has a good texture and the skin is very flavourful.”
Mr Michie, who founded the business in 2012, said: “To have our product tasted on the highest stage is mind-blowing – food critics I’ve seen on the likes of MasterChef judge these awards, top chefs and 5-star hoteliers. We know how much effort we put into the turkeys and this type of recognition makes it all worthwhile.”
He said the business was focused on producing the best tasting meat possible.
“Our birds spend nine months in our care, making them the slowest grown turkeys in the UK. I believe we do give them the best life. Every technique we use has a reason which ultimately leads to better tasting meat,” added Mr Michie.
“In the summer we allow them to range under the watchful eyes of our two guarding alpacas – a natural deterrent to predators which would snatch a turkey if given the chance. The birds forage for vegetation and fallen fruit, and they are also fed on a special grain mix produced on the farm.
“This is key to giving that greater depth in flavour. Their varied diet also results in a tastier bird, with a creamy coloured finish to the meat and rich juices for memorable gravy.”
