MANY food brands are promoted as having paddock-to-plate integrity, but few can back it up like Watsons Lamb.
Four generations of the family have been farming sheep for nearly a century on their Eastlea property at Hynam.
Shaun Watson, from the latest generation, is also a qualified butcher, which ensures full control of the family's lambs from the lush pastures and red gum-studded paddocks until they are processed in their butcher shop: Tender Cuts at Naracoorte.
The Watsons have been value-adding to their prime lambs for the past decade.
But Mr Watson says they wanted to make the origin of their chops, roasts and sausages known to customers.
Since the launch of Watsons Lamb at the start of spring, the business has been averaging about 12 carcases a week.
"The majority of people want to know where their food is coming from. We can even tell them everything about it, including which paddock it has come from," Mr Watson said.
"Local can mean many things - within the state or country - but our lamb is truly local. It is all produced and processed within a 50-kilometre radius of Naracoorte."
The majority is sold through the butcher shop, but they have strong interest from local restaurants, including Upstairs at Hollicks at Coonawarra where it is on the menu.
The premium cuts, such as loin chops and racks, are easy to sell - but they have been innovative to utilise the whole carcase.
Among their specialty products are lamb, feta and spinach sausages, and lamb and rosemary pies.
In fact, their lamb sausages are award winners, taking out the lamb category in the 2014 SA Sausage King awards.
They will represent the state in the national final in Adelaide in January next year.
Tender Cuts also won the Traditional Australia class with its BBQ sausages.
"To get a placing at the state level is really rewarding, but to have two firsts and two other placings is just fantastic," Mr Watson said.
Mr Watson and his father Frank turnoff first and second-cross lambs from their sheep.
A Merino flock is mated to White Suffolk rams from Woolumbool stud.
The ewe lamb portion are retained as replacements with these first-cross ewes then mated to Poll Dorset rams, bred by the Watsons.
All of the resultant second-cross progeny are sold.
Ewes are lambed down in May and most sell between 5 months and 10mo.
* Full report in Stock Journal, November 6, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
