A FARM shop has found success through specialising in its own rare breed meat.

Ian Dods and his partner, Donna O'Sullivan, have sold beef from their herd of Belted Galloway for about two years.

Now, buoyed by that success, they have also introduced beef from their Highland cattle.

The couple are tenant farmers at Ulnaby Hall Farm, a 300-acre enterprise, on the outskirts of Darlington.

They opened their farm shop and cafe in a former granary four years ago and deliberately built the business slowly - relying on word of mouth and reputation to build sales, rather than advertising.

They christened the business Medieval Ulnaby after the medieval village whose remains lie beneath several fields on the farm.

A scheduled monument, the village was the focus of a "Time Team" investigation which found evidence dating it to the 12th century, although there are suspicions that its name may have Danish origins.

The farm is in the higher level stewardship agri-environment scheme, partly because of the historic importance of the deserted village.

The couple used to have modern Limousin cattle but because the site is open to the public, they decided to switch to a more docile breed.

They had also become disillusioned with the fast finishing of modern breeds.

Ms O'Sullivan said: "We were looking for slower maturing, outdoor cattle and came across the Belted Galloway, we get them from two or three breeders in Scotland.

"They come here as young stock and, as they are slow-maturing, they spend two or three years with us."

Once ready, the Belties which have distinctive black coats with a white band in the middle are taken to a local abattoir and on to a butcher who hangs the carcases for three weeks.

The Highland cattle, with their long shaggy coats and enormous horns, are ready when aged three years or slightly more and then go through the same process as the Belties.

Ms O'Sullivan said: "The Highland meat is very lean and low in cholesterol whereas the Beltie is a more marbled meat.

"Both are very tasty and the flavour takes me back to how beef used to be. I remember as a child going to a friends farm and seeing this big piece of beef and our beef tastes the same as that."

She admitted they could probably make much more money by farming commercial cattle for the supermarkets.

"But this is a different way of farming and good from the animals welfare point of view."

The farm also grows potatoes and has rare breed Jacob sheep and pigs, as well as a prolific free-range flock of hens.

All supply the farm shop which also stocks a wide range of other locally produced foods and products.

The shop and cafe have created seven full and part-time jobs. Everything is made fresh on the day and the farms own meat is used in the meals.

The farm is also accredited to take educational visits and attracts schools and pre-schools from Heighington and the Darlington area as well as Teesside.

Children are taken on farm trailer rides and there is also a well-stocked play area and other attractions including goats to feed, a Shetland pony and Llama.

The shop and cafe is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.

The farm lies two miles outside Darlington. Take Staindrop Road for about two miles and turn left at the cross roads where the farm is advertised. The farm is about 500 yards on the left.