Christmas would not be the same without a delicious, juicy turkey. For many East Yorkshire residents, there is one man to thank.
John Wright, of Bilton, has been selling his free-range bronze turkeys across the globe for 50 years.
Despite the rise of the supermarket giants, he is still going strong.
Mr Wright, 70, said: "This year will be my 50th selling turkeys for Christmas and I'm still as busy as I always have been.
"Over the years, I've seen trends come and go. People have tried new things when it comes to Christmas dinner, such as these four-bird roasts, joints of beef and turkey crowns.
"Many opt for these because they think their oven is too small to cook a full turkey. However, I am a firm believer that the classic full turkey still reigns supreme."
Born at Holmes Farm in the nearby village of Wyton, Mr Wright first started rearing turkeys when he was 20, after deciding he wanted to carry on the family tradition.
Mr Wright said: "Rearing turkeys is like climbing Mount Everest – it is a hell of a job but you feel elated when you get to the end."
This year, Mr Wright has produced 1,300 turkeys, 400 of which he will sell direct to the public, with the rest delivered all over the UK through internet orders.
"Sitting down on Christmas day when it is all done is the best feeling," Mr Wright said.
"Hopefully, there will be some turkey left for us, even if it is just a leg or a wing.
"We are often left with lots of legs after Christmas from those who order turkey crowns. So, we just sprinkle them with rosemary or sage, and a bit of salt, and barbecue them. They always go down a treat."
Like many UK producers, Mr Wright has been faced with stiff competition from supermarkets offering competitively priced meat.
In order to combat this, he went back to basics by selling his turkeys himself.
In addition to selling his produce through local farm shops in Beverley, Hornsea and Driffield, he also took up a stall at the Humber Bridge Farmers' Market in 2010, which has proved a positive move for his business.
Mr Wright said: "I used to sell a lot of my meat through butchers and to the large retailers, but the benefits of this started to gradually fade as prices were driven down.
"So I decided to go back to selling 'from the farm gate' or direct to consumers.
"It worked well for me, as I got to know my customers. I found out what they like and don't like and advised them on the best way to cook turkeys.
"For example, lots of people told me they prefer a turkey crown because they think it's easier to cook.
"However, they don't realise that they don't have the juice from the legs to keep the breast meat tender. Once they knew this, they tried a full turkey and have never looked back."
Mr Wright has also built up a strong rapport with his regular customers.
He said: "Because I sell locally, people know where my turkeys are raised. Many in the Holderness area have even seen them running around in fields in Bilton.
"I have built up some loyal customers over 50 years."
• John Wright Turkeys will be at the Humber Bridge Farmers' Market on Sunday, December 7.• Business news for Hull and East Yorkshire
