How to find a local, farm-fresh turkey this Christmas (From Smallholder)

How to find a local, farm-fresh turkey this Christmas

7:09pm Monday 5th December 2011 in Poultry

Shoppers looking for a tasty, locally-reared, and good value Christmas turkey this festive season are being urged to head online.

The UK Turkeys website (www.ukturkeys.co.uk) enables shoppers to find a local bird by using only their postcode and they can also enter a competition to win an award-winning turkey and Yuletide hamper.

A record number of more than 340 producers have signed up throughout the country – up from 70 when the site was first launched in 2005.

Michael Bailey, a seasonal turkey producer and vice-chairman of the NFU poultry board representing turkeys, said: “Nothing beats a locally reared bird to treat your family. This website gives the shopper a chance to support British produce, help the local economy and guarantee a product with a fantastic taste. You can also speak to the farmer who reared the turkey that will end up as the centrepiece of your Christmas dinner. There are hundreds of producers to choose from and all budgets are catered for.”

Anyone nervous about carving their turkey for the first time or those who want a few extra tips can also log on for video tutorials, as well as information on how best to choose your bird and how to cook it.

And if you want to know what happens to turkeys AFTER Christmas buy our Christmas issue, on sale now!