In Dorset, our food story begins long before it reaches the butcher’s block. It starts on the farms, smallholdings, and family-run fields that shape our landscape.
At Dorset Food & Drink, we’re proud to champion the people who raise animals with care, respect, and a deep understanding of the land. These are the farms where welfare is key, flavour matters, and local provenance shapes every decision.
Today we shine a light on some of Dorset Food & Drinks exceptional meat producers – each one committed to the paddock-to-plate journey that gives Dorset its reputation for quality.
Belle Vue Farm – Conservation Grazing and Seasonal Dorset Meat
Belle Vue Farm in Purbeck champions conservation grazing while producing exceptional meat. They rear Hebridean sheep, Poll Dorset lamb, and Belted Galloway cattle, with a focus on breed conservation and sustainable land management. Their grazing supports wildflower-rich heathlands and local habitats, producing lamb, hogget, and beef that are naturally flavoured, seasonal, and deeply Dorset.
South Paddocks Ltd – Rare Breeds, Real Flavour
Tucked away in the Winterborne Valley, South Paddocks is a smallholding with a big heart for traditional farming. They rear pedigree Oxford Sandy & Black pigs and Boer goats, breeds known for their slow growth and rich flavour. This is meat that takes time, care, and natural husbandry. Rare breed pork isn’t merely a product; it’s a commitment to preserving heritage livestock and producing flavour that stands out from industrially bred alternatives.
Hill Barn Farm – Traditional Pigs Raised the Dorset Way
Hill Barn Farm in Tolpuddle is a true celebration of British pig breeds. The Cox family raise British Lop, Saddleback, Large Black, and Oxford Sandy & Black pigs with a strong emphasis on welfare and sustainability. Their pork is processed locally, ensuring full traceability and incredibly fresh flavour. At Hill Barn, the connection between farmer, animal, butcher, and customer is something to be protected, and it shows in every cut.
High Mead Farm – Community, Purpose and Provenance
High Mead is far more than a farm: it’s a therapeutic working farm supporting people with additional needs. Their animals are raised on-site, and the farm shop offers locally reared meat, eggs, produce, and dairy. Buying from High Mead means supporting a community-driven initiative that blends wellbeing, agriculture, and real local food.
Jurassic Coast Farm Shop – Grass-Fed Goodness with Environmental Stewardship
On the Jurassic Coast, farming is closely tied to the landscape itself. The Jurassic Coast Farm Shop specialise in grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef and English rose veal, all raised to high welfare standards. Their farm participates in Higher Level Stewardship, meaning biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and soil health are carefully protected.
Their curated meat boxes bring the full story of Dorset farming into your kitchen, with cuts chosen by expert local butchers.
Porters Farm – Highland Beef & Heritage Pork
Porters Farm, based on Portland in Dorset, rears highland cattle and outdoor-bred Saddleback pigs, producing ethically raised beef and pork in small batches. Their animals are raised outdoors in natural conditions, and the Saddleback pigs provide sausages, joints, burgers, and bacon through their on-farm butchery.
Farm Girl Sausages – Handmade, Seasonal, Dorset Through and Through
Sophie at Farm Girl Sausages creates small-batch sausages using outdoor-bred Dorset pork and fresh seasonal ingredients such as wild garlic, herbs and local honey. With no fillers or artificial flavours, each sausage celebrates honest, simple food done properly. This is artisan sausage-making that brings Dorset’s seasons directly to your plate.
The Real Cure – Dorset Charcuterie at Its Finest
The Real Cure has put Dorset firmly on the map for artisan British charcuterie. Their award-winning salami, air-dried ham, and cured meats use high-welfare British pork, locally sourced venison, and traditional curing methods. Their flavours are bold, distinctive and rooted in the Dorset countryside, offering a taste experience shaped by time, skill, and a deep respect for ingredients.
Why Dorset Meat Matters
Local meat isn’t just about reducing food miles, though these do matter. It’s about taste, traceability, and trust. Dorset’s farmers work with the land, honour seasonal rhythms, and raise animals humanely. When you buy local, you support small family farms, protect rural livelihoods, preserve traditional breeds, get a product that’s genuinely better and choosing quality that’s rooted in place. You’re choosing pasture to plate. You’re choosing Dorset.
In Dorset, we don’t cut corners.
We do things properly.
We do things locally.
#Done Right in Dorset
