Parish Cake - Spring 2020

feature
Absolutely
LAMBTASTIC!
A young shepherdess from Egerton is rapidly making a name for herself producing the very
best of fresh British lamb, writes Chris Lawson
PHOTOS BY CHRIS LAWSON
HARRIET HEATHCOTE is just 21
years old and like many others
is concerned about climate
change and the environmental
challenges facing society today.
The Heathcote family have
been farming in Kent since the
1920s and Harriet prides herself
on being a fourth generation
shepherdess. “It was something I
was born into” she says. “Dad has
always been a sheep farmer so I
was brought up doing this”.
As well as looking after her own
mixed flock of 300 Suffolks, North
Country Mules and Romney
sheep, Harriet is a contract
shepherdess for other local
“A LOT OF
PEOPLE
TODAY ARE
CONCERNED
ABOUT
ANIMAL
WELFARE AND
WANT TO
KNOW HOW
THE SHEEP
HAVE BEEN
REARED”
farmers. “I’ve seen the bottom
fall out of the livestock market.
Prices for sheep are virtually nil
and certainly don’t represent
the amount of hard work and
dedication that goes into rearing
and producing a quality flock
these days,” she adds.
Concerned not just about
the future of livestock prices,
but also the rising conflict with
veganism and a major campaign
that suggests livestock are
36 Parish Cake • Spring 2020