Who we are (and why we finally bought a van)
If you've found us through a leaflet, a Google search or a friend's recommendation, hello! I thought it was about time I properly introduced us.
We're Emma and Sam
We farm near Thurning, just outside Oundle in Northamptonshire. Sam runs the farm day to day, and I look after the beef side of things: the orders, the deliveries, the website and, until very recently, the endless cool boxes. Between us we also have two children, a house we're renovating (currently without a kitchen, which is a story for another day) and a herd of British Longhorns.
Why Longhorns?
Longhorns are a native British breed, and they're unmistakable, with those sweeping horns and brindled coats. They grow slowly and do well on grass. In fact they're conservation grazers, which means they will graze diverse grasslands. Our suckler herd raises their calves here on the farm, grazing our fields through the warmer months and moving into the sheds over winter.
Some of them have very big personalities. You might have already met Warrior, our bull, on Instagram. Uppity is one of our cows, and if you've seen our van, you've already seen her: that's Uppity and her calf, Zebra, on the side!
How our beef gets to you
We keep things as simple and as local as we can.
When an animal is ready, it travels a short distance to a small, licensed abattoir in Kimbolton. The carcass then hangs for 28 days, which gives the beef time to develop its flavour and tenderness. After that, our butcher Scott cuts it here on the farm, and each cut is packed and labelled by hand.
Because we work with whole animals, we sell every part, not just the steaks. That's why you'll find cuts like chuck, skirt and flat iron in our shop alongside the sirloin and ribeye. They're some of our favourites, and often the best value.
Why we finally bought a van
Until this month, every local delivery went out in cool boxes in the back of my car. It worked, just about, but as more of you started ordering, it was time.
Our new chilled van keeps everything cold from our freezer to your door, and means we can deliver further and more often. It was wrapped for us by the brilliant team at Butterfly Effect, and it features two of our own herd: Uppity and her calf Zebra. So if you spot a van with a Longhorn and her calf around Oundle, that'll be us. Give us a wave!
How to order
Everything is on our website. You can choose from:
Beef boxes: a mix of steaks, joints and mince, for the best value
Individual cuts: pick exactly what you want
Lamb boxes: when we have them
Delivery is free within 5 miles of Oundle and Thurning, £5 within 10 miles, and we send nationwide by DPD. And if you're planning ahead, our Christmas order list is now open until 19 November.
Say hello
We love hearing from you, whether it's a cooking question, a photo of your Sunday roast or just to say hi. You can find us on Instagram at @longbrookfarm, or reply to any of our emails.
Thanks for supporting a small family farm. It genuinely means the world.
Emma
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