A West Yorkshire farm shop landed yet another prime time champions’ buying coup at Skipton Auction Mart’s July show and sale. (Mon, July 2)
Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford, purchased the champion prime lambs, a pen of five 37kg Beltex-cross shown by Frankland Farms, of Rathmell, for £125 per head, or 337.8p/kg, by far the best price of the day.
Keelham partner and director James Robertshaw then stepped forward to snap up the champion and reserve champion in the prime cattle show, both presented by Jim Baines, of Trawden.
The title winner, the first prize 495kg Limousin-cross heifer, sold for £1,230, or 248.5p/kg, outshone by the reserve champion, the class-winning 495kg British Blue-cross bullock, at £1,245, or a by-weight high of 251.5p/kg.
In addition, Keelham Farm Shop paid the day’s top per head price of £1,261, or 233.5p.kg, for a British Blue-cross heifer from Bernard Simpson, of Pateley Bridge. The shop bought five beef animals in total.
Keelham is one of the single biggest purchasers of prime beef and lamb champions and prizewinners at the North Yorkshire venue, also snapping up both title winners last month. The Brighouse & Denholme Road outlet, which has it own sheep farms, is renowned for its support of farmers across the region.
It deals with over 250 Yorkshire producers and suppliers, and has won many awards in recent years, including being crowned Yorkshire Food Champion in the 2011 Countryside Alliance Awards, nicknamed the ‘Rural Oscars.’