We are beyond excited about our latest collaboration! Once again, we’re bringing one of our most cherished farming families and one of our most talented chefs together, to create culinary magic. Farmers, butchers and chefs working together to deliver the highest quality produce is one of the founding pillars of Swaledale Butchers, and is something that still drives us forward as a company today.

The Schofields farm National Trust land in the stunning valley of Upper Wharfedale, just above the picturesque village of Buckden. As you may know, they recently supplied us with some purebred hoggets*, and this past fortnight we've been selling various whole cuts. Whole carcass butchery supports our holistic approach to food production, making this a great opportunity to invite a local chef to collaborate with us and this very special meat.

Enter award-winning chef Shaun Moffat, the brains behind the fabulous food at Manchester's historic pub The Edinburgh Castle - voted #24 in the top 50 gastropubs in the country in 2024! Shaun and his team have built a strong reputation for serving food that is bold and comforting, yet has a level of refinement that elevates it above standard pub fare. Shaun instils in his kitchen team a nose-to-tail ethos that fits seamlessly with ours, and so it's no wonder the relationship between Swaledale and The Edinburgh Castle has gone from strength to strength.

Shaun told us, “When I was asked to do a collaboration with Swaledale, I immediately said yes. Their meat is world-class, and there's a passion and dedication to Swaledale’s offering that’s a delight to work with.

I was asked to utilise some of Garry & Gill Schofield's Hogget, and with it being British Summer Time, a sausage made perfect sense to me. So, introducing "The Edinburgh Castle Hogget & Fennel Pollen Sausage," a blend of shoulder, belly, and hogget fat, seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and fennel pollen**, giving the sausage a light aniseed sweetness to cut through the otherwise rich fat.”

When Shaun came up with the idea for a hogget, rosemary and fennel pollen sausage, we immediately knew he was onto a winner! We conducted several rounds of recipe trials, did lots of tasting and a little tweaking, and are thrilled with the results - these sausages are banging!

The sausage itself is a perfect summer affair, conjuring visions of hazy summer days in the Mediterranean. Whilst garlic and rosemary are long term allies of hogget, the fennel pollen is an intriguing addition, offering notes of citrus and honey as well as the anise profile that one would expect from this wonderful plant.

*Hoggets are yearling lambs, aged 12-24 months that are left to develop and fatten naturally on the rich, nutrient dense grass of the spring and summer months. Raised in the way nature intended, and left to mature at their own pace, hogget is a testament to the superior quality, taste and texture of native breed meat. The meat from a hogget sits nicely between that of lamb and mutton; with a more pronounced and evolved flavour than lamb but far more tender than mutton, it truly is fantastic meat to cook with. Hogget & Fennel Pollen Sausages are Always Fresh Never Frozen®, butchered to order, vacuum packed, and shipped in recyclable packaging to arrive safely insulated and ready to enjoy.

**Fennel pollen, derived from the tiny blossoms of the fennel plant, is a unique spice with sweet, aromatic notes of liquorice, citrus, and herbs. It’s commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine and is valued for enhancing both savoury and sweet dishes. Ideal pairings include pork, fish, vegetables, and baked goods. The spice is obtained by drying the fennel flowers and sifting them to extract the pollen, resulting in a versatile ingredient that can elevate a variety of culinary creations.

Hogget from Harewood Estate & Wharfedale | Native Breed Meat