"The festive season is upon us and with it comes the jolly job of Christmas menu planning. I’ve worked hard to ensure Pabulum’s Christmas menus include the freshest, finest most honestly sourced ingredients and, as such, visited Hubbard’s Farm in Shalford, Essex, to meet William Grove-Smith, our turkey supplier. We believe in working with our suppliers in genuine partnership and we only work with those who share our commitment to supplying fresh, quality food which is honestly and sustainably sourced – meeting our partners is a key part of my role and something which I love doing.

William has been working with one of our key suppliers, British Premium Meats, for a number of years; and he and his family have been farmers in the area since the 1930’s, going back three generations. Using traditional farming methods, the 600 acre arable farm grows cereal crops including wheat and oats - these natural oats play an important role in the diet of the turkeys (which are reared over a period of 22 weeks unlike commercial birds which are reared over 14-15 weeks). The spacious, open barns have a low stock density, plenty of natural light as well as fresh straw and soft wood shavings to create a pleasant environment for the birds – plus, a few toys randomly placed add a little bit of fun! The excellent standards shown in the farm’s animal husbandry means William is now working towards the Quality British Turkey Mark (Q.B.T). We’ll be proudly serving William’s produce in our menus throughout the festive season."