Norfolk Quail business set for flying start
Norfolk Quail, which is based in Great Ryburgh, near Fakenham in Norfolk, is providing quail meat for the north Norfolk-based Flying Kiwi Inns, owned by chef Chris Coubrough.
The new business is the brainchild of established poultry farmers John and Ellie Savory, who have more than 12 years' experience in the poultry industry and who have been providing organic eggs for Waitrose and other local outlets for several years.
They recently expanded their business, J Savory, to include quail after discovering that much of the quail meat served in UK restaurants is imported from France.
Their quail meat is now featured on the menus of the Flying Kiwi Inns.
John said: 'We decided to start breeding quail after noticing a gap in the market for locally-sourced meat.
'Quail is a very versatile and low fat meat, but it's far more popular in Asia and Europe than in the UK so we believe that by making fresh, ethically-sourced meat available locally, we can help to get it onto menus and dinner tables in the UK.
'Our meat is ethically-farmed as all the birds are hatched form our own breeding stock and live in an environment which is as natural as possible. It's currently illegal in the UK to allow quail to be free range but they're raised on deep litter in barns where they are free to forage and fly.'
Chris said: 'I'm a passionate supporter of local produce and I'm really pleased that I can support Norfolk Quail.
'Quail is a very versatile meat and my chefs are excited about creating delicious new dishes for our menus.'
Ellie added: 'We're delighted that Chris is supporting our business by serving Norfolk Quail in his restaurants. As a Norfolk-based business, it's important for us that local people are given the chance to try quail meat and we're sure Chris' chefs will use it to create some fantastic dishes.'
The Flying Kiwi group currently has five establishments in north Norfolk: The King's Head in Letheringsett, The Crown Inn at East Rudham, The Ship Hotel at Brancaster, The Crown Hotel at Wells-Next-The-Sea and The White Hart Hotel at Hingham, visit flyingkiwiinns.co.uk.
