The North Ronaldsay Trust is pleased to announce that we have been awarded with £102,831.41 from the Island Communities Fund towards the creation and building of a Meat Larder on North Ronaldsay. The Island Communities Fund is sourced by the Scottish Government, and is aimed at projects focused on supporting sustainable island economies, as well as their journey towards net zero.
The Meat Larder will consist of a modular unit which will be located at Trebb, and will include all necessary equipment to butcher and vacuum-pack North Ronaldsay mutton on-site (slaughtering will continue to be done off-island). The building will be powered by renewable energy (from a community-owned wind turbine) and a storage battery will be installed as a backup to keep meat products refrigerated or frozen, in case of power cuts or no wind.
The Meat Larder will allow the island to process the sheep at source (this is currently done elsewhere) and sell high-end quality meat cuts directly. The project will create jobs on the island and increase the value, as well as the status, of the much sought-after native North Ronaldsay mutton. As well as contributing towards the economic development of the island and the future survival of our unique breed of sheep, the project has a heavy environmental benefit – sustainably sourced meat will be easily available for both islanders and visitors, and encourage a more local consumption of meat products, all of it done using renewable energy sources.
The delivery of the Meat Larder project will be carried out by the North Ronaldsay Trust throughout the Winter of 2021-22. You will be able to follow progress of the project via the NRT website and Facebook page.
The North Ronaldsay Trust offers a big thank you to the Scottish Government and the Island Communities Fund for supporting the project.
