Paul Kelly is the third generation of the British Kelly family involved in raising and promoting the brand KellyBronze Turkeys. In 2012 he partnered with Judd Culver to raise pastured organic KellyBronze turkeys and test marketed some turkeys before buying Heritage Glen Farm in 2015 in the Blue Hills of Crozet, VA, now called Heritage Glen Farms (KellyBronze Turkeys USA).
Paul’s father Derek Kelly in Essex, England, started raising turkeys in 1971, certain that people would pay more for a great Christmas turkey, and proceeded successfully and gainfully to raise white turkey breeds. Paul raised white turkeys along with him.
Then came the 1980 Christmas turkey market crash in England due to wholesale turkey markets being oversupplied. Even though Derek and his wife Mollie had gained fame trussing a turkey on the 1981 TV show “The Generation Game,” traditional farm turkeys were still in trouble as supermarkets were putting butchers out of business by selling frozen turkeys en masse.
Paul, who was studying poultry science and business management at the University of Scotland, knew that his mother loved rare heritage breeds. In 1983, he suggested the Kellys begin breeding the dark-feathered bronze turkey, a heritage breed from Mexico, which is also known as the Standard Bronze turkey. It is currently on the U.S. Livestock Conservancy watch list.
Derek searched throughout England and gathered up all the bronze turkeys he could find, resulting in a flock of 290. By 1984, the Kelly family had formed their own brand, KellyBronze.
They raise their turkeys for six months rather than 12 weeks (the average age of a supermarket turkey) to allow the birds to reach the fifth stage of their growth, which is when they lay on fat. This allows the meat to be marbled with fat and therefore contain more flavor and moisture.
As Paul explained, the first stage is blood supply and nervous system; the second is vital organs; the third is skeletal development; and the fourth is muscular. In the fifth and final stage, fat is laid down.
“Processing at 12 weeks means the turkey is only at the third or fourth stage in development, with only enough muscle to move around – it certainly hasn’t reached the fifth stage,” said Paul.
“Hatching in spring, then grown through summer into winter, the turkey has time to lay down all its muscle and fat into the bird. Over the past 30 years, commercial turkeys are grown faster and faster to reach a 12-pound bird processed at 10 weeks. They are the right weight, but certainly not ready to eat,” said Paul.
The result is “turkeys over the years have become drier and drier. It really upsets me as a turkey farmer when people say turkey is dry and tasteless. A good turkey cooked to perfection is sublime.”
Raised organically, they dry pluck the turkeys by hand and hang them like pheasants for two weeks.
While others scoffed at their efforts, in 1989, Delia Smith, “the Martha Stewart of the UK,” visited their farm, loved what they were doing and declared theirs to be “turkey of choice” in her book “Delia’s Christmas.”
After Delia’s visit, butchers started asking for KellyBronze turkeys and their business took off.
Paul Kelly with the dry plucked KellyBronze turkey, which he raises on both sides of the Atlantic. Photo courtesy of KellyBronze USA
In 1995, Derek received the Rupert Chalmers Award for Outstanding Contribution and Commitment to the Turkey Industry over a significant period. (In 2007, Paul received the same award – the only father and son to both receive the award).
In 1998, Derek received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for service to the farm-fresh poultry industry. In 2001, the Kellys were appointed by then-Prince Charles’ organic brand Duchy Originals to farm their Christmas turkeys. In 2014 they celebrated 50 years.
In 2003, Paul visited the U.S. “to see how the Americans do it.” He said, “I’m amazed – nowhere in the U.S. was anybody doing ‘New York dressed’ turkeys. It was a great marketing opportunity.”
He met Judd Culver, a former Virginia resident, when Culver was residing in England, and chose him as partner for the 130-acre Crozet, VA, farm.
In 2012, they flew some eggs across the pond to hatch them. They got a plant, and in 2017, a USDA license, after much explaining. “USDA was amazed we don’t use water for processing. We did the science. With no water, there’s no Campylobacter or Salmonella. They found a way around the standard,” Paul said.
“Water is the last thing you should use. It promotes bugs and bacteria. Removing the water process is safer.”
They currently produce 4,000 KellyBronze Turkeys in the U.S. and 41,000 in the UK. They raise the American turkeys the same way as they do their English ones: organically, with no antibiotics or hormones and free range.
But Paul had one surprise, much like a Pilgrim moving to the New World. He was floored when Culver told him they would have to watch out for predators in the form of mountain lions, bears, opossums, coyotes and birds of prey. “A real eye-opener,” he said. “Over here, we just have the fox.”
The birds are raised under trees in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains until they are 12 weeks old and too heavy for birds of prey. Then they are moved to a paddock where Culver has built “an amazing electric fence to protect the birds.”
The U.S. farm has 24 employees and produces turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“One big difference is the conversation I have with our customers after Thanksgiving. I ask ‘What can we do to make it better?’” Paul said. “Discussions with supermarkets are typically ‘What can we do to make it cheaper?’”
But Paul also has fun. In 2008 he was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for fastest plucking and again in 2009 for carving.
For more information, access kellybronze.com.
by Laura Rodley
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