Our Breeds
Our Breeds
At Hildenley Home Farm, breeding is just as important to our commitment to quality as our farming practices. We’ve carefully selected animals that thrive in our particular environment.
This approach ensures our animals grow in a way that prioritises their well-
being while enhancing the quality of the meat we produce. Here’s a
closer look at the breeds we work with:
Hereford Cross
Our cows are primarily Hereford crosses, meaning that while the main breed is Hereford, we have introduced other breeds to enhance certain qualities. Our Herefords have been crossed with Aberdeen Angus, Limousin and Lincoln Reds to get the best traits.
Herefords are well known for their hardiness and ability to grow on a grass diet. Their meat particularly prized for their beautiful marbling, giving the meat its exceptional tenderness and rich flavour.
In addition to being delicious, Hereford beef is highly nutritious, offering a balance of healthy fats and protein. As a slower-growing breed, Herefords develop at a natural, steady pace, which deepens the flavour of every cut.
Tamworth and British Saddleback Cross Pigs
Our pigs are a cross between the traditional Tamworth and British Saddleback breeds, both of which are slow-growing and perfectly suited for outdoor habitat. Our pigs live extensively in mixed ancient woodland where, with their long heads and impressive snouts they dig and forage in a natural environment.
Tamworth pigs thrive on low-energy foods and grow slowly, resulting in lean, fine-grained meat with a rich, distinctive flavour. We also have British Saddleback, another heritage breed, known for its resilience and suitability for free-range farming. Together, these breeds produce premium pork that’s perfect for roasts, sausages, and more, raised with the best welfare standards in mind.
Border Leicester Cross Sheep
Our sheep are a mix of Border Leicester, Suffolk and Vandeen.
As cross breeds they are low maintenance and thrive on the variety of grasses that have been established at Hildenley for centuries. The flock is relatively small , we have about 100 breeding ewes. They tend to follow the cattle grazing pastures where they main help to maintain healthy and weed free pastures.
We are never in a hurry to wean the lambs from their mothers. And the natural progression to grass forage ensures the best meat cover and flavour.