News

Our dinner to celebrate the 400th anniversary of ‘Sir Loin’ was held at Hanford in Dorset on Friday 21 July.   Members and guests dined on a meal of White Park beef cooked by renowned chef and restaurateur Mark Hix MBE and supplied by farmer John Lean of Tiverton, Devon.   The meal was supported by the fine food department store Fortnum and Mason.

 

In 1617 King James I enjoyed a loin of White Park beef so much at a banquet at Hoghton Tower in Lancashire that he conferred the title of ‘Sir Loin’ on it. The qualities of marbling and flavour that so impressed him remain the trademarks of White Park beef today.

 

President of the White Park Cattle Society, Lawrence Alderson CBE, who hosted the dinner, said:  “The White Park is an ancient type of cattle kept in Britain for more than 2,000 years. The first written records appeared in the mid-ninth century in Wales and more herds were enclosed by the nobility in parks in other parts of Britain in the thirteenth century. They now are noteworthy not only for their distinctive appearance and beef quality, but also for their ease of calving and thrifty hardiness.”   The White Park breed is classified as a rare breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

 

After the dinner had concluded the rare breeds auctioneer Clive Roads of Worcester Livestock Market hosted an auction of items donated to the White Park Cattle Society.

 

In late 2016 Arche Warder farm park in Germany contacted us to say that they were looking to purchase some White Park cattle.

The farm park is now the proud owner of heifers Cadzow Lyndsay and Cadzow Lacey, who travelled to Germany from Haddington in the Borders of Scotland, and bull Wytch Osprey who travelled from Dorset.

Daniela from the farm park is delighted with her new arrivals and says that they have all settled in well.

Seven year old White Park cow Smoile Vivien was named overall Champion Rare Breed at the show and sale held at Chelford Market on Saturday 24 September 2016.  Smoile Vivien was owned by Jessica Bryne-Daniel and bred by Mr and Mrs Anthony Milner.  Following her success in the show ring Smoile Vivien and her calf PantGwyn Veritas then made the highest price of the day selling at 2550 guineas to White Park Cattle Society member Mr Adam Ogden.

 

Until its dispersal in 2013 following the retirement of John Barker, the highly respected Collegewood herd of White Park cattle grazed beautiful parkland in the Chilterns.    As a non-farmer with no land and no prospect of buying any John’s start in life as a cattle owner looked precarious.  But with a lot of hard work, help from friends and neighbours and his devoted wife Mo, John acquired more and more acres and gradually developed his beloved White Park herd.  Following retirement from owning cattle John has written a 53 page A4 book, illustrated by many beautiful photographs, which details how he started out his cattle-owning career with two acres and a Charolais x Welsh Black calf and finished with a herd of White Park cattle that enjoyed a visit from Her Majesty the Queen.

John’s book “Collegewood” is now available from the White Park Cattle Society priced at £8.  To order your copy please telephone 01926 632560 or email [email protected]

At our annual show on Friday 25 September at Worcester Livestock market White Park cow Pennyspot Pheobe was awarded the Champion rosette and Heathylee Cup for best overall female. Pennyspot Pheobe was bred by John Carrick and is owned by David Graveston.   She was born in 2009 by Smoile Napoleon out of Pennyspot Ivory and has just given birth to her fourth calf.

The following day Pennyspot Pheobe and her calf were sold during the WPCS Annual Sale.

Flood-stricken farmers will be benefiting from the proceeds of the sale of a White Park heifer which was auctioned during the White Park Society Spring breed sale on Saturday 17 May 2014 at Worcester Market.  The heifer was donated by White Park Council member, Frank Sutton.

Gracedieu Charlie was sold for 780 guineas and together with a collection at the market and a donation by the White Park Cattle Society a total of £1000 was raised for Forage Aid.