Free-roam chickens a tasty success

It has been hailed as the ultimate roasting chicken; a bird fit to grace even the grandest of dining tables.

And although at £12 it may peck a hole in your pocket, Crowsmoor Farm chickens from Craven Arms are rapidly gaining plaudits across the country.

Chris Wesson rears his chickens for 84 days, almost 50 days longer than standard supermarket birds and 28 days longer than the free range benchmark.

He believes the lifestyle of his free-roaming birds, which forage for vegetation, insects and grit, turns a humdrum chicken into a gastronomic delight.

"Once you have tasted our chickens there is no way you can go back to the bland flavour of the supermarket bird," he said.

"We do lots of tasting sessions around the county and the chicken speaks for itself."

Chris sold his engineering firm last year to concentrate on producing the ultimate roasting chicken. He also has 350 layers providing hundreds of free range eggs each week which are sold at the farm gate, plus some geese for the Christmas market.

It's a lifestyle choice enjoyed by his wife, Ali, and children Josh, 14, and Georgie, 10.

He said: "I woke up in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur one Sunday and thought 'What am I doing here?'. Although my job allowed me to see some amazing places there is nothing better than producing food the way it should be produced so I sold up and concentrated on this full time.

"Everyone who watched Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 'Chicken Out' campaign will have been appalled at the treatment of the average supermarket chicken. These animals are given the bleakest of surroundings and killed without a sniff of fresh air.

"Our operation is the complete opposite. The birds arrive on the farm as day-old chicks and are kept under gas heaters for about 30 days. They are then moved outside where they can roam free from well-insulated sheds which are moved to a different part of the field after each batch to guarantee fresh ground."

But it's the lengthy rearing process which really brings out the flavour.

Chris explained: "The minimum period for growing to most organic certificating bodies is 70 days. Although we are not organic we exceed that minimum period by a further two weeks.

"Yes, they are more expensive as a result, although we also do cheaper packs with just fillets or thighs, but there is simply no comparison."

For more details on Crowsmoor Farm chickens visit www.crowsmoorfarm.co.uk

By Rural Affairs Editor Nathan Rous

nextpage Mr Wesson rears his chickens for 84 days - nearly 50 longer than supermarkets.

Mr Wesson's birds are rapidly gaining plaudits across the country.

The henhouse at the farm in Craven Arms.

Chickens owned by Chris Wesson at Crowsmoor Farm.

Chris Wesson with some of the chicks at his farm in Craven Arms.