A Perthshire producer is warning turkeys could be in short supply at Christmas.
Charlotte Blackler, who runs food subscription business Herb Majesty at Glenalmond, will not raise her pasture and herb-raised flock of turkeys this year.
The firm normally sells around 200 free-range turkeys.
But after much deliberation, Charlotte has decided not to produce her speciality birds due to the risk of avian flu.
Last month, Scotland’s chief vet Sheila Voas warned that a bird flu outbreak had “increased dramatically”
Bird flu risk too great for Perthshire
The risk of infection would mean keeping the flock under cover their whole lives.
Charlotte said: “I have been agonising over raising turkeys this year and finally made the decision not to go ahead.
“With the prospect of having to keep the birds indoors for their whole lives without access to our herby pastures, fruits and berries, I would not be able to produce the Herb Majesty birds my customers know and love.
“That goes against my ethos of naturally raised food. It is the herby pasture and wild forage that make our turkeys so special.”
Charlotte said she hopes the birds – which she said are “very susceptible to flu” – will in time get a natural immunity.
She hopes that will allow her to return next year.
Herb Majesty used by Michelin-star chefs
Charlotte – who is also behind a range of food products aimed to help women going through the menopause – launched Herb Majesty after deciding to grow her own Christmas lunch.
She said friends and family remarked the turkeys were the best they had ever had, and the business launched in 2017.
Charlotte adds: “Local people were wanting to eat our turkeys.
“They knew they’d been free to live outside and fed beneficial botanicals that added flavour and nutrients.
Now, Herb Majesty’s turkeys are used by Michelin-starred chefs at The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant and other high-end restaurants and hotels.
