From Avondale to The Ritz, a Strathaven husband and wife duo have found the secret ingredient to success.
AJ, 53, and 65-year-old Robert Morris have been working hard at St Brides’ Farm and can now boast that their poultry has been tasted in top Michelin Star restaurants across the UK.
The posh bird brand are even being scoffed in top London hotel The Ritz, who pay big bucks for the rich-tasting poultry to be regularly shipped down to Piccadilly.
AJ says the humble farm has sparked conversations across many local dinner tables with their in-demand chicken.
“We have great support from our chefs,” the mum of two told the East Kilbride News.
“It can be dearer that other chicken, as we need the manpower and the knowledge to be able to do what we do properly.
“We’re proud wherever it goes because it means we have been picked, but one of our best known ones is the Ritz.
“It can be a novelty for some people – at the dinner table they can say to the family that they are eating the same chicken that was eaten at the Ritz.
“We get orders from people who have kids and want them to eat quality poultry.
“We prepare everything to order, and I guess it is a bit of a testament to us that people come back.”
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Robert and AJ had experience in the industry from a previous speciality poultry business, which they closed during the 2009 banking crisis.
AJ admits they weren’t sure what to do next, but had an idea to make Scottish poultry that was as good as the French market.
The duo allow the birds to reach 14 weeks and they are allowed to roam around the farm, and are not fed genetically modified wheat.
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AJ continued: “We decided it was going to be a smaller batch, artisan-style approach.
“From our previous business we had a customer base and that helped us early on.
“We mainly have chicken, guinea fowl, ducks and turkeys.
“Our unique selling point is that we allow the birds to grow at a natural pace. They are free range and free roaming, but normally for a free range chicken they are given around 45 days. Even organic is only 81 days of life.
“Our birds are allowed to walk about and forage and that makes the difference.
“We are more of a traditional farm house. They grow at their own pace and forage and develop a good
flavour.
“They are plump, have longer legs, and look different from the chicken you would see in the supermarket.
“Not a lot of people produce poultry the way we do.”
AJ feels that people love their chicken because of longer lifespan – which is three times longer than some suppliers – as well as the great taste.
“Chicken has become popular as a generic, white meat that a lot of things can be added to,” she continued.
“What we’re offering is something more traditional.
“It’s a bit more expensive, and you might eat a bit less, but it’s a better quality meat.
“How it tastes and how it’s reared are the big things for us.”
