The South Downs Brand
If you are fortunate enough to visit or live in and around the South Downs National Park, you’ll understand why it is so important to protect this precious landscape. The South Downs are a rich tapestry of visual beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. An iconic landscape of national and international importance, it is renowned for its beauty and distinctiveness.
The Downs has been, and continues to be, shaped and nurtured by sound farming and conservation practice. You can support this essential work by making choices about the products you buy. Look out for the South Downs brand logo (left) and you can be sure that you’re purchasing quality products from the South Downs that help protect, conserve and enhance the landscape.
Core Brand Values for the South Downs Trademark
- The Trademark supports the production of products or services that help to conserve and enhance the special qualities of the landscape, ecology, cultural heritage and sustainable access to the South Downs.
- The products and services must be produced within the South Downs or have a sufficiently strong link to the South Downs to achieve the first principle. The area is the protected landscape of the South Downs, namely the area of the National Park.
- The product or service should be sustainable, meaning that it should contribute to reducing its carbon footprint in comparison with other similar goods and services and ensure the sustainable use of its key resources whilst supporting the first principle.
- The product or service should be of a consistently good quality.
- The sale or promotion of the product or service should clearly link to management and protection of the South Downs.
South Downs lamb
The South Downs have for centuries been grazed by lambs destined for the tables of Southern England. This extensive grazing has created and maintained the chalk uplands giving rise to a unique habitat rich in wildlife. Farmers producing South Downs lamb are committed to conserving the traditional chalk grassland and help to support local rare breeds by breeding Hampshire and Southdown stock. To buy South Downs lamb direct or for a list of stockists in your area, contact Plantation Pigs Ltd., telephone 01483 810113 or visit www.plantationpigs.co.uk
South Downs venison
Managing deer is essential to help maintain their population and consequently protect the woodland habitat from intensive overbrowsing which damages and kills young trees. South Downs venison is humanely killed by expert stalkers, butchered locally and each high-quality cut can be traced back to one of the wooded estates on the Downs. To buy fresh South Downs venison (from mid August) contact South Downs Venison and Game, telephone 01730 826869 or visit www.southdownsgame.co.uk
South Downs charcoal
South Downs charcoal is a by-product of essential woodland coppicing work. Coppicing is where trees such as hazel and chestnut are cut back to the base. The tree then makes several new stems that are cut periodically (between 5 and 20 years). Coppicing opens up the woodland canopy to the sunshine, allowing wildflowers to bloom, in turn attracting wildlife and rejuventating the trees. To buy South Downs Charcoal direct or for a list of stockists, contact Wildwood Charcoal on 01243 778106 or Didling Good Charcoal on 01730 814815.
Only products which benefit the South Downs landscape can carry the ‘South Downs brand’ logo. If you require further information on the South Downs brand, please contact comms@southdowns-aonb.gov.uk.
