The Estate larder

Somerleyton Farms owns 2500 acres of land under production; 1400 is managed as grassland, woodland or water and further 1000 acres let to four tenant farmers who have lived in Somerleyton for several generations and play an invaluable role in the estate’s management.

Somerleyton Farms is primarily a cereal grower producing small amounts of potatoes, sugar beet, vining peas and beans. The Estate is one of the best managed in the East Anglia region therefore we are optimistic about the future and keen to expand over the next 3 to 5 years.

In addition, we are slowly increasing and specialising in livestock production and kitchen gardening as well as forming links with local small producers with a view to creating an estate branded food business over the next few years. Currently we have 60 Norfolk Horn and 33 Black Welsh Mountain sheep as well as 20 Welsh Black Cows, the progeny of which provide high quality meat for our hotel and pub. The kitchen garden is new this year and our aim is to become 70% self-sufficient by the end of 2008. Towards the end of the year we hope to pilot a foodbox scheme to our woodland lodge holidaymakers together with other locally sourced supplies.

Next year we hope to add Large Black pigs to the unit and find a high quality organic chicken farmer to partner with. All fish comes from Lowestoft market and we strive to follow the traditional fishing seasons to help preserve stocks.

Wild Food

The most untapped source of food on the estate and arguably the most bountiful is wild food. Somerleyton is naturally abundant in deer and game as well as many wild foods often overlooked or forgotten. Somerleyton is home to Red Deer, Fallow Deer and Muntjac, pheasant, partridge, wild duck, woodcock, rabbit, hare, pigeon and eel. Wild garlic, bullaces, damsons, sloes, haw berries, blackberries, elderflower, mushrooms and even stinging nettles and pike all have their own valued placed in the kitchen, and it is our aim over the next few years to use substantially more game, wild herbs and edible flowers our kitchens.

One of the greatest successes of Somerleyton’s conservation policies has been the return of the otter as well as a huge increase in the number of local song birds including skylark. We have also seen the rise in numbers of grey partridge, barn owl, marsh harrier and lapwing.

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