Hurstpierpoint farmer humanely rears 3000 turkeys a year

A farmer has been humanely rearing 3000 delicious turkeys every year for 30 years.
Turkey farmer Anthony Harris. Pic Steve Robards SUS-141216-142015001Turkey farmer Anthony Harris. Pic Steve Robards SUS-141216-142015001
Turkey farmer Anthony Harris. Pic Steve Robards SUS-141216-142015001

Anthony Harris, 53, from Hurstpierpoint, loves turkey so much he eats it all year round. He said: “I cook a whole turkey every two weeks. I never get bored of it.”

Anthony runs the farm ‘the old fashioned way’.

“The birds come as day-old chicks and then they don’t leave the farm again,” he explained.

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The turkeys live in spacious barns and fields until the end of November and are fed a wheat based diet.

Anthony is a traditionalist when it comes to cooking turkeys. He continued: “The most important thing about cooking a turkey is protecting it. You need lots of fatty bacon and foil to keep it moist.”

Anthony trusts Delia’s method, advising people not to use foil because the skin won’t crisp up.

The birds are dry-plucked then hung for a week.

“They’re a game bird. It needs to hang to develop the flavour,” Anthony added.

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The turkeys are then sent out to butchers and farm shops throughout Mid Sussex, including Hurstpierpoint, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath. They are also sold through the farm website and on site. Anthony said customers should buy his turkeys rather than going to a supermarket because of the superior flavour.

“It depends whether you want a tasty meal or not,” he said. “You can’t even compare them. The proof is in the fact that people come back year after year. In all the years I’ve been doing this I’ve never had to give anyone their money back.”

If you want to try Anthony’s turkey for yourself, head to bridgersfarmltd.co.uk.