Here at Dale Bank Farm, in the heart of North Staffordshire, we are proud to be one of England's longest-established turkey farming families.
Our grandfather, Harry, began the family tradition in 1928 after importing American Bronze turkey breeding stock from the USA.
At that time, turkeys were expensive and exclusive. In his first year of rearing and selling 400 turkeys for Christmas, Harry made enough profit to build the farmhouse where our family still lives today.
We are now the third generation of this small family business, rearing around 3,000 birds each year for quality butchers, farm shops and members of the public.
We continue to honour the traditional techniques handed down through our family. Our turkeys are plucked, traditionally hung and dressed by hand, just as Harry and the generations that followed him did before us.
The farmhouse built with the proceeds from those first turkeys in the 1920s remains at the heart of our farm and our family story today.
Our Turkeys
Providing the highest standards of welfare and producing exceptional-quality meat are at the heart of everything we do. We want every customer to enjoy a delicious, succulent and memorable turkey on Christmas Day.
Our birds arrive on the farm as day-old chicks, known as poults, and receive the very best care and attention to ensure they grow and thrive in the best environment possible.
We rear both White and Bronze turkeys. The main difference is in their feather colour: White turkeys have white feathers, while Bronze turkeys have darker feathers.
A Little Turkey History
For many years, goose was the traditional Christmas meal in Britain. Turkey gradually became increasingly popular, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and by the 1920s had firmly established itself as a Christmas favourite.
Traditionally, Bronze turkeys were the bird of choice. During the 1960s, consumer tastes shifted towards White turkeys, and today both varieties remain popular.
While television chefs have helped bring Bronze turkeys back into fashion, we believe there is very little difference in the actual taste of the meat. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference!
Freedom to Roam
Our turkeys have the freedom to roam and enjoy the outdoors during the day, where they can explore, forage and sun themselves. At night, they are brought into our 250-foot shed, where they rest on comfortable, home-grown straw and are protected from foxes and other predators.
We believe that keeping our birds active, interested and stimulated is an important part of their welfare. To provide environmental enrichment as they grow, our turkeys have a variety of objects to investigate and interact with.
We use old CDs, which provide an interesting reflective surface for the birds to explore and peck at. We also hang small bales of hay for the turkeys to investigate and peck. The hay offers additional stimulation and provides an extra source of dietary fibre.
These simple forms of environmental enrichment encourage natural behaviours, help reduce boredom and support the wellbeing of our birds throughout their lives.
Our turkeys are fed a high-quality diet to support healthy growth and help produce the wonderful flavour for which our birds are known. When Christmas arrives, they are mature and carefully prepared for the table with the same care and attention to detail that has been part of our family tradition for generations.
Choosing the Right Turkey
We rear turkeys ranging from approximately 4kg to 24kg. The most popular weight range is between 4kg and 10kg, and these birds are generally hens, chosen for their attractive shape and conformation.
The larger birds are typically males, as they naturally grow to a greater size and weight.
We carefully select the breeds we rear based on a variety of factors which, through generations of experience, we believe contribute to quality, conformation and, ultimately, the eating experience.
For us, the end product is what matters most. From the care we give our birds from their first day on the farm through to the traditional preparation of each turkey, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards and producing a Christmas turkey that we are proud to put our family name to.
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