Raven Hill Farm
The Saviles’ farming operation
at Raven Hill Farm is a mixed
arable, beef and sheep concern
running to around 500 acres.
It is run as a family partnership
between Steve, Pat, John and
Neil, married to Claire. The other
two sons Paul and Mark are
partners in the other business
S&S Associates that includes
The Old Star plus the renewable
energy sides of the farm that
has two wind turbines and solar
panels.
Current stocking levels at
Raven Hill see them with around
100 breeding cows and heifers
in the suckler herd with their
calves being taken to finish
between 18 months to two
years old. Two Aberdeen Angus
bulls and one Charolais are the
bulling team for the cows which
are continental X dairy.
Around 350 cattle are
bought in at between a year to
16 months old from livestock
markets in Darlington and
Carlisle and are also taken to
finish.
‘When we’re buying we’re
looking for a good framey beast
for us to be able to put the finish
on, something that we can work
with,’ says Lucy.
‘We’re sending around 40
to Dovecote Park every three
weeks and we also send
two little heifers every week
to butcher James White in
Cranswick who cuts all our beef
for the pub and supplies other
pubs and restaurants.’
While the pub sees the
benefit of retailing its own beef
through the pub there is more
than one connection back
to beer. The herd consumes
brewers’ grains from Heineken!
Perhaps this refreshes the cows
other beers cannot reach?
The other livestock element of
Raven Hill is the sheep flock of
140 breeding ewes.
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‘We buy Mules from Malton
and Darlington livestock markets.
Lambs mostly go to Dawn
Carnaby in Bridlington.’
Raven Hill’s arable cropping
includes around 200 acres of
winter wheat, which this year
is Skyfall and Crusoe. The land
is very chalky, being on the
Yorkshire Wolds, which means
it dries quickly and from being
wet it can be back right in a short
space of time. Yield normally
comes out at a healthy 4 to 4.5
tonnes per acre and is mainly
milling wheat destined for
Bradshaw’s Mill six miles away in
Driffield. Some feed wheat is also
grown along with winter feed
barley and spring malting barley
using the variety Concerto.
Pota toes, vining peas, stubble
turnips and game crops make up
the rest of the arable mix.
‘We grow a lot of seed
potatoes and let additional
land each year. Potato varieties
include Nectar, Mozart, Panther
and Challenger. We work closely
with Wholecrop Marketing
over what we grow. We also
grow around 35 acres of vining
peas as part of the Swaythorpe
Growers group.’
Everyone helps out wherever
needed but largely John
handles the arable side of the
farm including the spraying and
fertiliser spreading while Neil is
more the stockman keeping such
elements as lambing and calving
as tight as he can.
Catering and tourism through
the pub may be a relatively new
experience for the Saviles, but
one member of the family has
been involved in it longer than
the rest. Pat runs a secluded
four-bedroomed holiday cottage
on the farm that also includes the
use of a summerhouse and she
supplies visitors with fresh eggs
from her hens.
At a time when many farming
families are realising the benefit
of being closer to their customers,
the Saviles are making a
significant name for themselves
and their beef through the Old
Star. They’re very much at the
heart of village life in Kilham.
Lucy only has one slight
concern every time another
farmer comes in to the pub for a
steak.
‘The pressure is on. While we
attract a lot of tourists we also
get a lot of farmers and while
you want the steaks to be right
for everybody I’ve got to admit
when it’s someone we know
and they’re a farmer or a farming
family themselves I’m always
hoping it will be good. Our
friends obviously know about
cattle and how their beef should
taste. Fortunately, we’re getting
it right - let’s hope it stays that
way!’
Lucy and John have two
daughters – Molly May and Josie;
Claire and Neil have a son and
two daughters – Henry, Annie
and Emily.