Thwaite Hall is a 410-acre lowland holding on the south-facing bank of the River Wharfe. Jack and Sarah keep a closed pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd of 96 suckler cows.
The herd has not been outsourced in over twenty years. Every animal on the farm is descended from the four foundation cows Jack's grandfather bought at Carlisle in 1971.
The cattle are finished entirely on grass and home-grown red clover silage. The Metcalfes have never used a feedlot system and have no intention of starting; they believe the grass-only finish is the single biggest reason their beef tastes the way it does.
“Every cow here knows her name. That sounds soft until you see how it changes the way they handle.”