Sandyford Vineyard, Great Sampford, Essex
Sandyford Vineyard sits within Salix Farm, one of those quietly remarkable Essex farms that you only really come across at one time of year, but which carries more than half a century of family farming behind it. Tucked into the rolling countryside of north-west Essex, on the edge of the village of Great Sampford, the holding has been in the Lindsell family since 1946 and today combines a 400-acre mixed arable operation, a celebrated free-range Christmas turkey business, and the 2-acre vineyard itself. The Lindsells are far better known to the British public for the birds that bear the Salix name on Christmas tables each December.
A family farm since 1946
The story of Salix Farm begins with Penny Lindsell, who started farming in 1946. The business passed through the family in turn, and today the farm is run by Mark Lindsell with the help of his brother Simon and his parents Mike and Sue. Three generations of the family have now shaped the farm, each adding their own chapter to a story that has unfolded across the same patch of Essex countryside for more than seventy-five years.
The farm sits in the picturesque village of Great Sampford, surrounded by the patchwork of fields, hedgerows and small woodlands that characterise this stretch of the borderland between Essex, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Alongside the 4,000 Christmas turkeys reared each year, the family farms wheat, barley and sugar beet across 400 acres, the kind of diversified rotation that has long kept mixed family farms viable in the south-east of England.
The turkey business
The farm is, in truth, built around its Christmas turkey business. The Lindsells have been producing traditional turkeys for the Christmas market for more than sixty years, and the farm's reputation across Essex and beyond rests on the consistently high quality of the birds it sends out each December.
The turkeys arrive on the farm as day-old chicks in the middle of June. During their first few weeks they are housed in modern sheds, in small groups, under heaters and with constant care and attention. At the end of August they are moved into large, open-sided pole barns bedded with straw. During the day they are free to roam around a four-acre paddock, and each evening they are brought back inside under the watchful eye of the family's working sheepdog, Jess, who keeps them safely out of reach of the local fox population.
The birds are fattened on rations containing at least seventy per cent cereals, with no animal protein and never any antibiotics or growth-promoting additives. In December they are dry plucked and then hung for at least a week in a chilled store, a traditional process that the Lindsells credit with producing the succulent flavour their customers return for year after year.
When the turkeys leave the farm they are presented in attractive carry-home boxes, wrapped in greaseproof paper and accompanied by full cooking instructions, a recipe leaflet and a pop-up thermometer. It is the level of finishing that has earned Salix Farm its loyal following, and customers regularly capture the mood in their feedback, with comments such as: "To all of you at Salix Farm, thank you for the delicious turkey which was enjoyed by all. Moist, tender, tasty and the right size for our group with plenty left over. We will be back next year."
Sandyford Vineyard
Alongside the turkeys and the arable land, Sandyford Vineyard is a 2-acre block of vines planted on free-draining Essex boulder clay over chalk. The vines represent the most recent chapter in the family's long-running diversification of the holding, sitting on land that has been farmed by the Lindsells for three generations.
Ordering a Salix Farm turkey
A small selection of frozen turkeys is available to order throughout the year, with enquiries handled by email. Online orders for the main Christmas 2026 season open on 1st October through the farm's Order & Shop.
Customers have a choice of three formats. A whole free-range Christmas turkey is the classic option. A turkey crown is simply a whole bird without the legs and thighs, ideal for those who prefer the white breast meat, quicker to cook and easier to carve. A demi turkey is a whole bird cut lengthways so you get half the breast and one leg and thigh, designed for smaller gatherings. The farm advises allowing a generous portion per person and adding a kilogram or so if plenty of leftovers are wanted; full guidance is given on the Weight & Portion Guide.
Collection and delivery
Collection day for the Christmas turkeys is 23rd December, between 10am and 6pm, from the farm at Salix Farm, Great Sampford, Essex, CB10 2QE. Customers are asked to follow the signs to the first barn in the farmyard and not to come to the farmhouse. Payment on collection can be made by cash, credit card or cheque (with bank card), made payable to Salix Farm Turkeys.
For those who cannot collect in person, the farm offers a home delivery service at £9 to mainland England, Wales and mainland Scotland (excluding the Highlands). Deliveries take place on 23rd December, packaged in sustainable, biodegradable natural wool insulation with an ice pack. The farm notes that a signature is required on receipt and that no refund can be given where delivery cannot be completed because no one is at home and no neighbour instructions have been left.
Cooking and storing your turkey
The Lindsells share the cooking method used by the family for generations, attributed to Great Grandma Lindsell. Pre-heat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F / Gas Mark 7. Place two large sheets of foil across the roasting tin, one lengthways and one widthways. Place the turkey on its breast in the centre of the foil and loosely wrap it in a parcel, leaving plenty of space between flesh and foil. Cook for 30 to 60 minutes (depending on size) before reducing the heat to 190 °C / 375 °F / Gas Mark 5. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, open the foil and carefully turn the bird onto its back to brown the breast. To check whether the turkey is fully cooked, pierce the thickest part with a skewer; the juices should run golden and clear, not pink. Pop-up timers are a useful guide but the skewer test is the final word. Transfer the bird to a large plate and rest for 30 to 50 minutes before carving. The farm emphasises that resting is essential to tenderise the meat and that the bird will not go cold in that time.
For storage, the farm recommends removing the turkey from its packaging, taking out the giblets and storing them in a covered bowl in the fridge (the giblets make excellent gravy). Place the turkey on a tray, cover loosely with foil and keep it in the bottom of the fridge. If the bird is too big for the fridge, leave it in its box with the lid open in a cool place, out of the reach of animals and children. The turkey should be removed from the fridge two hours before cooking so it can come up to room temperature before stuffing.
Great Grandma's giblet gravy
A traditional giblet gravy has accompanied Salix Farm turkeys for decades. To make the stock, rinse one set of giblets in cold water, place them in a saucepan with one small onion and one bay leaf, cover with 900 ml of cold water and bring to simmering point. Skim, then simmer very gently for two hours. Strain and chill until required. To finish, drain the fat from the roasting tin, sieve in two level tablespoons of plain flour and stir over a low heat until absorbed. Add the giblet stock slowly, whisking until smooth, bring to the boil, season, simmer for a couple of minutes and serve in a warm jug.
Visiting and contacting the farm
Sandyford Vineyard is based at Great Sampford, Essex, CB10 2QE. The easiest way to make contact is by email at simon@salixfarmturkeys.co.uk; the family aim to respond to all queries within 24 hours. The farm's public activity is concentrated around the Christmas collection day on 23rd December each year.
Welfare and feeding standards
The Lindsells are clear that their turkeys are not organic, because the cereals they are fed on are not organic, but they emphasise that the birds are reared to the highest welfare standards. They are fed on locally grown cereals without drugs, additives or growth promoters, are free to roam during the day and are brought safely inside at night. A small number of black feather quills may occasionally remain after plucking; the family explain that this is caused by changes in temperature during rearing, is completely harmless and that the stumps shrivel during cooking. They explicitly advise against spending Christmas afternoon with a pair of tweezers.