Name: Going Native Heritage Meats
Address: 6 The Sandbed, hawick, Scottish Borders, TD9 0HE, United Kingdom
Telephone: 01450 363331

Going Native Heritage Meats

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Welcome to new Scottish Food Guide member Going Native Heritage Meats. Mary Howlett is a heritage meat specialist, seeking out the best from farmers, smallholders and producers who care about the breed and the feed.

Mary’s business has always been about giving credit to the skills and traditions of the surrounding upland farmers in producing their good stock: qualities almost totally unrecognised in the marketplace and yet are worlds different – and superior – to conventional meat. She sources her native breed pigs from local smallholders, and the pastry for her pies is all made locally for her in Hawick.

Based in a 100 year old butcher’s shop in the Borders town of Hawick, Mary focusses on the native breeds, bred over generations naturally, on the Border hills. She is a specialist and passionate in her mission to support real flavoursome meat, providing farmers with a sustainable ethical route to market, and providing us consumers with wonderful produce.

Her skills are admirable: from her fabulous freshly irresistible baked pies and sausage rolls, haggis and black pudding, to her expert butchery as she prepares cuts to order.

Native breeds are sustainable, free ranging and flavoursome. They are not ‘developed’ for modern farming systems and are from traditional family farms. Raised predominantly all year on pasture or hefted on the hillside’s natural vegetation, they are not relying on inputs – nature knows best. Slow-growing breeds develop flavour and marbling and you know the meat first led a good high welfare life.

Mary is also a regular at the ever-popular Kelso Market.

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