Geese plus turkeys a winner

Nov 15 2006 By Anna Lognonne, The Journal

When it comes to getting ready for Christmas, County Durham farmers Martin and Judith Dryden start their preparations at the height of summer.

At the beginning of the heatwave in June, the couple bought 100 goslings, which have since been grazing happily in the field at Murton Moor Farm in Murton village, alongside 550 free range Kelly Bronze turkeys, which arrived in July.

Although the Drydens have been rearing free range turkeys for seven years, rearing geese is a new venture for them. But consumer demand persuaded them it was the right option to take.

Mrs Dryden said: "We had quite a few phone calls last year from people who said that they knew we reared turkeys but were wondering if we also sold oven-ready geese for Christmas. I told them we didn't, but I said I would try and source one for them.

"However, when I started making phone calls I discovered that there was no-one in the region selling geese and we thought that we could cater for that niche in the market.

"Also, in the run-up to Christmas, a lot of the celebrity chefs on TV were encouraging people to go out and buy a goose for the Christmas dinner so I felt that the demand would be there."

Mrs Dryden contacted the British Goose Producers, who helped her to source some goslings from Eddie Hegarty, of Norfolk Geese, and then provided her with advice and tips on how to rear them.

She said: "The society has been absolutely fantastic and they have really held our hands through the whole process."

To top it all, the Drydens were named joint inaugural winners of the John Adlard Memorial Sponsorship, which was set up by Norfolk Geese to help newcomers to the industry get off to a flying start. They received 20 free goslings and lots of help and advice on rearing and marketing the birds.

Rearing the birds has not been a problem and they have fitted in well alongside the turkeys. Because they arrived a month before the turkeys, Mrs Dryden has been able to use the existing nursery at the farm for the goslings.And they already have all the necessary refrigeration systems in place to store the birds in the run-up to Christmas Eve.

Mrs Dryden said: "When the goslings first arrived we initially turned them out on the garden lawn and, as they got bigger, we moved them into the field. They really do look splendid and because they are white, they are very visible from the road."

The geese are reared on grass, with their diet supplemented with wheat in the last month or so. It is not possible to rear them intensively and they are only available between September and December.

The Drydens have already received a lot of inquiries for the birds and have sold a third of the flock already.

Mrs Dryden said: "We seem to have two types of customer.

"On the one hand you have the older generation who used to have goose at Christmas and are keen to recreate that traditional dinner once again for their families. And then you have the younger generation who have been inspired to buy a goose for their Christmas dinner by the celebrity chefs."

Sales of the Kelly Bronze turkeys - which are favoured by food gurus such as Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith - are also going well.

The Drydens will be taking orders for their free range birds when they visit Dalton Park Farmers' Market this weekend and Durham Christmas Fayre on December 2 and 3, and a cooked Kelly Bronze will be available at both venues for the public to sample.