Alveston Pastoral, Duri, putting lamb in the spotlight this Christmas

However, one family-run operation in the state's North West is aiming to change that thinking by offering paddock-to-plate lamb from its Duri property.

The Stokes family, Alveston Pastoral, have been running 450 to 650 Dorpers on their property on the outskirts of Tamworth for the past 11 years and are honing in their focus on offering an alternative for Christmas this year.

"It started out as bit of a joke with a friend when we suggested we should do Christmas lamb instead of Christmas ham this year, and it really cemented in our mind that it was a great idea," Alveston Pastoral principal Samantha Stokes told The Land.

"Our main way of selling up until recently has been to sell through the commodities whatever that looks like, but then because we are not operating on a huge scale we thought we'd give more of a paddock-to-plate method a go.

"It just seems crazy to us that you could take your animals into the saleyards, then from there they might go to an abattoir, to then being distributed across the country and could travel thousands of kilometres by the time it ends up on your plate.

"Therefore, I think it would be fantastic for local people to eat locally-produced food, especially when you consider how many quality products are being produced in the Tamworth district alone."

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The family-run operation has a keen focus on operating their business under a holistic approach and practices rotational grazing, as well as trying to limit the amount of chemicals used on their land.

"We've been doing a fair bit of education into regen-ag or holistic management, whatever you want to call it, because that's the direction we want to take our business," Alveston Pastoral principal John Stokes said.

"A move away from herbicides is our biggest goal at this stage and while we're not anti-anything, I think you would be doing well to convince me that you can't operate without that kind of stuff.

"We try really hard to limit the amount of chemicals used in our operation, try to rehabilitate our land and minimise our impact on the environment, so selling it direct made more sense to us."

Once ordered, the Christmas meal showpiece can be delivered butchered and Mrs Stokes said it could "cover any kind of meal".

"Whether its a traditional Christmas roast or some chops for the barbecue, we have you covered," she said.

"Just reach out to us and we can discuss what kind of options we can provide."

A recent study commissioned by Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA) found lamb would have a tough time toppling its more traditional rivals, as it was the 10^th most popular choice among consumers.

The traditional ham leg and fresh seafood topped the list, while roast pork was rated number three.

"The iconic ham has always held a special spot on Aussies' Christmas tables, so it's no surprise to see it come out on top as the most popular Christmas food for the second year running," IGA head of trade Estella Young said.

"It's a great value versatile dish that can last over a few meals which is why we think it's hard to beat."

However, the survey showed lamb had significant support interstate and was most popular on Christmas menus in South Australia, with 37 per cent of people surveyed putting roast lamb atop their list.

As well as helping to change the perception surrounding roast lamb for Christmas, and put a Christmas meal on the table, Alveston Pastoral is also helping stuff Christmas stockings with its varieties of organic cosmetics.

"We offer a variety of things like lip balm and deodorant," Mrs Stokes said.

"Everything is made by us and with natural ingredients sourced on our property.

"We have our own bee hives and all of that sort of stuff as well because using all natural stuff is really a priority for us."

To enquire, or to order some Christmas lamb, visit Alveston Pastoral's Facebook page.

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