A COUNTY Durham turkey producer received his first repeat order for this Christmas on Boxing Day last year.

"A customer rang to say the turkey was wonderful, they enjoyed it so much, could they have one this Christmas," said Mr Robert Darling of Burtree House Farm, Burtree Lane, Darlington.

Indeed, their first venture into rearing the free-range Kelly Bronze was so successful that they expanded from 150 birds to 200 this year. The birds cannot be described as organic but are additive free, traditionally reared and their feed comes from an organic mill.

"We had quite a few letters from customers thanking us and saying they had forgotten what turkeys tasted like," said Mr Darling. "It was nice to get such feedback and, because they sold so well, we decided to increase numbers a little this year."

Although most customers were local, others travelled from Ripon, Knaresborough, Redcar, Northumberland and Newcastle.

The turkeys come in a variety of sizes and start at £5.85 a kg for the larger birds. This year Mr Darling is also selling breast roasts.

Mr Darling and his wife, Lea, are both licensed slaughterers and use a humane stunner to kill the turkeys, which are then hand-plucked and hung by their feet for at least two weeks. They start slaughtering the birds tomorrow and will only dress them ready for collection on the Friday and Saturday before Christmas Day.

The success of the turkeys has led to a successful free range hen enterprise and a range of home-made produce sold from a shop on the farm.

"We have 100 free range hens and decided to put a sign up for eggs - we sold out that day," said Mr Darling. "We have been selling them ever since and they just about always go on the same day. It is rare that we have an egg that is two days old."

The couple have also found a thriving trade at farmers' markets at Darlington, Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle and hope to attend the re-launched market at Northallerton.

They make and sell their own jams, marmalade, chutneys, cakes, biscuits, Christmas cakes and puddings. They also stock dry cured bacon and sausages from Broom Mill Farm, Hummerbeck; apple juice from Lanchester Fruit, and potatoes from Stephenson's of Bradley Burn Farm, Wolsingham.

"One of the jams we make is gooseberry and mint, which people buy to put on lamb," said Mr Darling, "One customer says it is wonderful on fresh mackerel."

"We have just about run out of room and would like to expand but it is just making that jump. The next building would take a lot of expense and work to convert but expansion is something we are looking at."

Mr Darling is a tenant farmer on a 250-acre arable farm and readily admits that it is only the new ventures which make any money. "It is the way forward," he said. "We cannot just sit around and moan about low cereal prices. I cannot see them improving and I don't think that, as a tenant farmer, I could exist even on £70 a tonne."

Customers can either call at the farm, which is next to the motorway in Burtree Lane, or contact 01325 463521. The shop is open seven days a week between 8am and 7pm.