The supreme champion in the beef cattle competitions at the Aylsham Show will be the first animal in a new Norfolk herd - driven by shifting consumer demands.

The show's interbreed beef title went to a 16-month-old beef shorthorn heifer named Meonside Rosebud Ray.

The animal is owned by William Clarke Livestock in Hevingham, run by Andrew, Hayley and William Clarke - who only bought her last month, from a Scottish breeder at the Yorkshire Show.

Andrew Clarke said she will be the first in a new herd of shorthorn cattle, as beef customers increasingly sought better quality meat, with better environmental credentials.

"Our main breed is Simmental, with a few Limousins, but with increased demand for native-breed beef we thought we would start a small herd of shorthorn, so she will be the foundation female for that herd," he said.

"It is really good quality meat. I think we have to accept that people want to eat less meat, but they want better quality meat, so the high-end butchers are focusing on quality rather than quantity.

"They (beef shorthorns) will thrive well on more of a forage-based diet rather than a cereal diet, which fits in with farming stewardship schemes."

Mr Clarke said the long-awaited return of the annual Aylsham Show after two Covid cancellations had reopened a vital shop window for livestock farmers.

"It is fantastic to be out showcasing the livestock that we produce," he said.

"It is a tremendous shop window for us and a very good education for the general public, to meet these animals and see where their food comes from."