Keelham snaps up the best prime lambs

Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford, purchased the champion prime lambs, a pen of five Beltex-cross shown by Frankland Farms, of Rathmell, for £125 per head, top price of the day. They will be on sale at the Brighouse & Denholme Road outlet from early next week

Keelham partner and director James Robertshaw also stepped forward to snap up the champion and reserve champion in the prime cattle show, both presented by Jim Baines, of Trawden.

The title winner, the first prize home-bred Limousin-cross heifer, sold for £1,230, outshone by the reserve champion, the class-winning British Blue-cross bullock, at £1,245.

In addition, Keelham Farm Shop paid the day’s top per head price of £1,261 for a British Blue-cross heifer from Bernard Simpson, of Pateley Bridge, also acquiring a Limousin-cross heifer from the same vendor at £1,225, plus a fifth acquisition with a further Jim Baines heifer at £1,029.

All the beef will be fully matured to maximise both taste and texture for a minimum of 21 days before going on sale.

Keelham is renowned for its support of farmers and remains one of the single biggest purchasers of prime beef and lamb champions and prizewinners at the North Yorkshire venue, also buying both title winners last month.

The shop, which also has it own sheep farms, deals with over 250 Yorkshire producers and suppliers, and has won many awards, including being crowned Yorkshire Food Champion in the 2011 Countryside Alliance Awards.

Craven Cattle Marts also announced the launch of a new calf prize incentive targeting youngsters not participating in its monthly shows.