DEXTERS may be the smallest British breed of cattle but their beef is gaining a mighty reputation.

Geoff and Penny Hodgson are among the breed's biggest fans and are earning accolades for the quality of their meat.

The couple run the 50-strong herd of Thornhill Dexter Beef at Thornhill Farm, Easingwold and, with the logo "Pampered Cows, Perfect Beef!", they are building a regular clientle who keep coming back for more.

"Many people think beef is beef but, just as apples have many different flavours, so does beef," said Mrs Hodgson.

"Dexter is a lovely beef, very succulent and sweet flavoured as chefs describe it. It is very dark and rich with slight marbling."

Chef Gerard Baker, who regularly features on BBC Radio 4, heaped high praise on their meat.

He asked for some of their beef for the Radio 4 food awards and, in a handwritten note, said: "Your Dexter was by far the best, richest beef I have ever cooked. The food awards loved it."

The Hodgsons started life on a smallholding at Danby Wiske and bought their first few Dexter cattle in 1999.

By the time the foot-and-mouth crisis struck they had built up to nine cows, all of which were either in calf or had calved.

"We thought we were going to get through, we were not contiguous and the herd was fine," said Mrs Hodgson, but, on a shopping trip to the supermarket, a farmer approached her and said how sorry he was.

"I said it was all right we were still there, but the look on his face showed he seemed to have heard something," said Mrs Hodgson.

They received a telephone call that night saying their cattle would be slaughtered the next day. She still believes there was no need for them to have been culled.

"There was nothing left around us, there was only us and a smallholder neighbour," said Mrs Hodgson, "There was no need to take us out. We had even telephoned them and were told they were not taking us out."

It was a traumatic time but the only way forward was to start again.

They began to re-stock at Danby Wiske, but the horror of the cull proved too much for Mrs Hodgson who regularly got flashbacks.

Happily, in May last year the couple had the opportunity to move to the bigger small holding at Easingwold.

The herd now numbers 50, including 18 breeding females. The females are all known by name and are bred to produce good quality show stock as well as to produce stock for beef.

The cattle are all reared traditionally with the calves staying with their mothers for several months. They are fed on grass, hay and haylage with the occasional handful of locally grown barley in winter.

Mrs Hodgson likes to leave the cattle out for as long as she can, but leaves the gate open so they can wander indoors if they want to.

"The meat side really came into its own last autumn when I realised we needed an outlet for the males," said Mrs Hodgson. "If we were going to breed we needed an outlet, either through someone else taking them on or by doing something with them ourselves."

A small local abattoir is used for the slaughtering and butchering and the meat is hung for three weeks. Although small, Dexters are solid and provide plenty of meat.

"Everything is very local with the minimum of stress," said Mrs Hodgson.

The meat is vacuum packed and returned to the farm, from where it is sold. It is also available through a market stall in Easingwold and some farm shops.

Lewis and Cooper of Northallerton also stocked it although it is not available there at the moment.

Mrs Hodgson, who also works with dyslexia sufferers at a clinic in Northallerton, will make local home deliveries and has also started a mail order delivery service.

Dexters have grown in popularity over recent years. They have been taken off the rare breed list and moved up to minority breed status.

Many people buy the odd one or two as house cows and the Hodgson's herd is one of the larger herds in the area. It has just about reached capacity for the smallholding but, as demand for the meat continues to grow, Mrs Hodgson would be interested to hear from any other Dexter breeders who might be interested in direct selling.

Visitors are welcome to the farm, by prior appointment, on 01347 823827