Farm shop Guiljam-Simons

Lamb meat straight from the local farmer...

If you drive from Hoek to Philippine, you will see a sign at number two on Van Wuijckhuiseweg that says “lamb meat, potatoes, onions and small bundles of hay and straw.” When you enter the yard of the sheep farm, you'll find a small farm shop in the barn with local products.

and much more

The Wienkel offers much more than just the pure, honest lamb meat from its own farm and potatoes and onions from the area mentioned on the sign. At the Farm Shop of the Guiljam-Simons family, you can also find fruit and honey from the region, Zeeland products like licorice and gift items, natural care products based on lanolin, and on a small scale, free-range eggs and seasonal fruit. The packages of herbal hay and straw, which have not been fertilized with chemical fertilizers, are interesting for hobby farmers. Worth a visit.

Specialization

When Ko and Miep Guiljam-Simons moved into the small farm in the Van Wuijckhuisepolder in 1980, they initially began by growing onions, potatoes, wheat, and sugar beets, doing contract work, and trading forage. It wasn't long before a few sheep arrived, serving as lawnmowers around the buildings. That pair of sheep grew into a whole flock, and by the year 2000, it turned out that they were running more of a sheep farm than an arable farming business. Therefore, Ko and Miep decided to specialize in this and start offering lamb meat.

Second generation: Jan and Elianne

Meanwhile, the business has largely been taken over by the second generation of Guiljam. Son Jan and his wife Elianne are becoming the face of the farm. Daily, you can see Jan alongside his father in the polder surrounding the farm, where they take care of the sheep. Fencing pieces of land, moving the sheep to new pastures, supplying water, mowing grass and processing it into hay. Checking to see if the animals are okay. It's a full-time job, as there are now over 250 breeding ewes and six rams of the English Texel breed with the lambs outside in herb-rich meadows all year round. Here, they don’t need supplementary feed. To breed for size and easy lambing, the ewes are occasionally crossed with other breeds, such as the Zwartbles and Blue de Maine.

High quality

The lambs grow slowly and naturally. This results in pure lamb meat that is high in quality and particularly flavorful. In June and July, there are milk-fed lambs available at the Wienkel. Lamb meat can be ordered and picked up on slaughter days, once a month. The dates for this can be found on the website. The lamb meat from Guiljam-Simons is also available frozen year-round. You can choose from small portions or meat packages. The lamb meat is also on the menu at several local eateries. Buying lamb meat straight from the farmer has its advantages. “Our lamb meat is pure and honest. Quality comes first. Buying lamb meat here means a short supply chain in food production, little chance of mishandling, fair margins, and a transparent story between farmer and consumer.”

Delicious lamb meat

Lamb meat is delicious in stews or roasted with thyme and rosemary. Have you ever tasted a traditional lamb köfte with mint sauce from the oven? Or what do you think of a pita bread filled with lamb shawarma, fresh lettuce, grated carrots, and homemade garlic sauce? Flavor enhancers include seaweed salt and other Zeeland lamb spices from the Wienkel. Jan and Elianne are happy to give tips on how to prepare the lamb meat deliciously. A visit to the shop is definitely worth it! When will you put the pure lamb meat from Hoek on your table?

Lokaal Lekkers fietsroutes