Farming For Flavour - The Story Behind Lavinton Lamb

Hi, I’m Sophie Arlott, the owner of Lavinton Lamb. 

I grew up in rural mid-Hampshire on the banks of the River Itchen, with a childhood full of animals and plenty of time outdoors. 

After studying archaeology and ancient Mediterranean history at university, I worked in wildlife television before spending several years teaching English across Southeast Asia and Europe. 

After meeting my husband, Robert, a commercial airline pilot based at Luton Airport, we headed north in search of a home we loved and could afford, eventually settling in Lincolnshire—where we’ve happily stayed ever since with our two sons Max and Freddie. 

Our smallholding became home to Dexter cattle, Kunekune pigs and Ryeland sheep, but everything changed when I spotted an advert in my local Mole Valley for three Southdown ewes and a ram for £200. I bought them on the spot and spent the next twenty years building my small flock. Along the way I discovered a passion for showing sheep, culminating in winning the National Southdown Show at the Suffolk Show – a reflection of the quality of the sheep that became the foundation of Lavinton Lamb. 

The inspiration for the business began one Easter Sunday when I realised I didn’t have enough of my own lamb to feed my guests. I bought another leg of lamb from my local butcher that looked similar and had been raised locally, but the difference in taste was remarkable. While the butcher’s lamb lacked flavour, my own was naturally sweet, full of character, and tasted the way lamb should. That moment inspired me to produce and share exceptional lamb with the flavour and quality I believe it should have. 

In 2013 when I was offered 200 acres of free grazing for three years. It gave me the chance to experiment with primitive and native sheep breeds that aren’t widely used commercially but produce exceptional meat, starting with my flock of Southdowns. I was also lucky enough to find a mentor in the brilliant Jim Cresswell – former president of the Southdown Sheep Society and incredibly generous with his time and knowledge.  

I first crossed Southdowns with Hebrideans, then introduced Border Leicester, known as the industry’s ‘Great Improver’, to improve size, hardiness, wool quality and meat. The result was a sheep that combined the best of all three breeds, and by 2015/16 we were ready to start selling my meat! 

Lavinton Lamb is a unique cross that brings together the dark, rich, gamey character of ancient Hebridean sheep and the delicate marbling and sweet flavour of Southdown sheep, producing beautifully tender lamb with exceptional depth of flavour. 

A real highlight came in 2024 at Chatsworth Country Fair, where chef James Martin selected my lamb for his live cookery demonstration. He loved both the flavour and the story behind it and later invited me onto Saturday Morning in January 2025. That appearance introduced Lavinton Lamb to thousands of new customers and marked a real turning point for the business. 

Today, my sheep are 100% grass-fed, grazing the organic parkland of historic Grimsthorpe Castle, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), where conservation grazing plays a significant role in improving biodiversity. 

Farming is, without doubt, my dream job. I love being outdoors, nurturing my flock and producing healthy, happy sheep while farming in harmony with nature to create exceptional-tasting lamb. 

Discover the full range of Lavinton Lamb here.