After a lengthy search, Pip Gale from Gales Wine Bar is delighted to have found a reliable local source for the lamb he serves in his award-winning restaurant. D and J Thomas and Sons from Rhosllanerchrugog were linked with Gales through the Good Grub Club and are now providing at least one whole lamb a week to meet demand at the restaurant for a range of cuts.
D and J Thomas and Sons are traditional family butchers who have been supplying the retail and catering trade with quality, locally-reared Welsh meat for 35 years. James Thomas (Partner) quoted: “my father drilled it into us that Welsh produce is the best and we all need to promote locally sourced food. The Welsh lamb that is supplied to Gales comes from one of the highest farms in the Llangollen region and we believe these conditions result in a flavoursome , tender product.” The family butchers also own and operate their own MHS monitored abattoir, meaning that they have full traceability of their meat from farm to fork. Animal welfare is paramount every step of the way, as they believe this delivers through to the end product.
Gales Wine Bar Head Chef, Jack Hatley, said “I’ve been butchering my own meat for my kitchens for the last eight years, the quality of the lamb from D and J Thomas is one of the best I have worked with” The lamb sourced from the nearby farms has a beautiful dark red colour and fantastic marbling which apparently gives the local lamb a delicious flavour. Jack’s menu sounds mouth-watering as he explains “We buy whole lambs which enables me to cut what is required for the up-and-coming days at the Wine Bar, whether it’s a nice boned and rolled leg for Sunday lunch or a shoulder for our 24 hour Sous Vide individual Lamb Henry.”
Mike Ford, from Pen Y Lan Pork and a Good Grub Club Committee member, made the link between Gales and D and J Thomas and Sons during a conversation at a Good Grub Club event. Mike explained “Once Pip explained how difficult he found it to source genuine Welsh lamb, I naturally thought of James and his brothers. With their wealth of knowledge and experience I knew this would be a winning combination. It’s fantastic that Pip can advertise the lamb dishes knowing that full traceability is assured – hugely reassuring for his customers and something he can advertise as so many more people are concerned about animal welfare and where there food comes from.”
If you want to see Chef Jack Hatley in action, check out this video https://www.facebook.com/galesofllangollen/videos/vb.43923130881/10154391309080882/?type=2&theater Or why not book a meal at Gales Wine Bar and try the lamb first hand? Call 01978 860089 to make a booking or stop by and hope there’s a seat available at 18 Bridge Street, Llangollen.