The Farmers Mart Apr-May 2018 - Issue 56 | Page 46
46 YEW TREE FARM
APR/MAY 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk
Phil Rigby ©
YEW TREE FARM
Jason recently caught up Jon Watson and Jo Mcgrath
to chat about sheep farming, Beatrix Potter and
celebrities who have visited Yew Tree Farm.
TENNENT farmer Jon Watson has been at
Yew Tree farm for the last 16 years, prior to
moving to the Lake District, Jon managed
a farm in North Yorkshire. Yew Tree is a 600-
acre hill farm of fell and field, near Coniston
in the Lake district. The farm has an interest-
ing history, most famous for being owned
by the late Beatrix Potter in the 1930’s and is
home to many of her furnishings.
The farm was originally named after a Yew
tree that was 700 years when it cut down in
1896, the remains of which can still be seen
in the field behind the house. The farmhouse
is traditional cruck framed building built
around 1690. Then farm remained in the
hands of the Walker family for two centuries,
they were responsible for the extension of
the house in 1745. In 1930 the farm was put
up for sale, and the National Trust wanted
to purchase the farm but couldn’t raise the
funds. In stepped Beatrix Potter, known
locally as Mrs Heelis, who was a known
supporter of the trust, bought the farm. She
bought the property with the view that once
the Trust had enough funds they would
purchase the property from her.
Once the National Trust bought the prop-
erty, Beatrix acted as Land Agent for 10 years
on behalf of the trust. During this time, she
helped set up a tea room at the farm and
filled the property with her own furniture
and several items that would be of interest to
passing tourists. The farmhouse is one of the
most photographed farms in the UK. Many
tourists from around the world visit the farm,
with the sole purpose of photographing the
location, especially after the farmhouse was
used in the film Miss. Potter.
Today Jon runs both Herdwick Sheep,
a grey fleeced hardy breed well suited to
the hills of Cumbria and Belted Galloway
Cattle on the farm, as well as running his
well-known Heritage Meat brand, which
specialises in naturally reared lamb, hogget,
mutton and beef. His Herdwick sheep
gained PDO (Protected Designation of
Origin) status in 2012, this is only given to
meat (lamb & mutton) derived from sheep
of pure bred Herdwick ewes and rams that
have been born, raised and slaughtered in
Cumbria.
Jon’s Heritage Meats brand has attracted
several well-known chefs over the years,
which has included John Kristoff Novelli,
who raved about the hogget, and Hugh
Fearnley-Whittingstall, who wandered
around the farm with Jon pointing out
edible wild plants growing on the farm that
Jon didn’t know about. Afterwards Hugh
cooked up a meal of mushrooms and plants
found the farm, he has also cooked the
hogget from Heritage Meats, and another
very impressed customer.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said; “Jon
Watson and Yew Tree Farm exemplify
everything that’s right about a new gen-
eration of conscientious and professional
small-scale meat producer, everything from
the delicious carefully presented meat to
the impressive packaging smacks of atten-
tion to detail and quality. Their Herdwick
Hogget is among the finest I have tasted”.
The Heritage Meat brand has received
several awards which has included 3 Gold
Stars in the Great Taste Awards, as well
as being approved by Masterchef, as a
top-quality meat which can be bought
using the Masterchef gift card. The aim
behind Heritage Meats has always been to
make traditional farming with native breeds
a financially viable option.
Kristoff and Hugh are not the only celebri-
ties to have visited the farm over the years,