A family-run farm in Flintshire is hoping to continue growing in order to meet rising demands.

Wern Bach Southdowns, in Caerwys, is owned by husband and wife Chris and Helen Owen, who run the farm with their two children, George and Molly.

The family has now owned the land for about a decade, but only started to seriously market their produce over the last three years – in which time they have grown into a local supplier of lamb meat and made farming “a way of life.”

Prior to properly launching their business, though, the family were essentially utilising their Southdown sheep as fancy lawnmowers for their land.

Mrs Owen said: “We needed something to keep the grass down, so we looked around at different sheep – and I know these are quite cute. So, it started off with me ten years ago, and it’s grown from there.

“It was probably from the first time we took some to slaughter (that we became interested in the business side of things). The first time we had a go at that for ourselves, and got the meat back, we were pleased with what we had produced.

“Our friends and family had some of our meat, and then it just grew from there to something we love doing.”

Following their small-scale start, the Owens now have 18 breeding ewes, and four stock rams who have produced 18 lambs so far this year at Wern Bach Southdowns.

Mr Owen added: “The demand for our meat just took off.

“Word of mouth has helped us take off, so we’re trying to supply that demand at the moment. It’s probably more demand that we can supply through that, but the plan is to keep growing year on year.

“We’re going to more shows to look more at the breeding and the bloodlines going into the stock, so we’ve splashed out on a few rams and ewes. We’re a few years off where we want to be with that, but we’re going in the right direction.

“We go as far as Anglesey, Cheshire, and Oswestry (for shows), so mainly Wales and the North West at the moment. But we have eyes on the Royal Welsh in a few years.”

Mr Owen added: “On the scale we are, we’re never going to compete with the biggest and you’ve just got to accept that. But to be comfortable at a level where we are and to produce some fine stock, that’s all we need and want.

“It will be ideal to keep growing and getting more land and more sheep. As long as the demand is there for the meat.”