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 It
is our sincere intention to offer the very best in food available.
We market rare breeds because they answer every question in terms of
quality and value.
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In terms of their genes, these slow growing
breeds are more flavoursome than continental breeds and hybrids.
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Many carry more fat than conventional types
giving the meat succulence and flavour.
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Locally produced, they mean low Food Miles and a
taste of the area.
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Produced to a demanding set of welfare
standards, we only buy from the producer direct, never through a
market or a dealer.
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Our commitment to the very highest quality means
that we fully hang and properly prepare the meat.
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Meat from rare breeds is healthy. Extensively
reared livestock such as these carry more Omega 3 fatty acids
than intensive stock.
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Creating a market for rare breeds helps to
conserve them. Create demand and more are kept.
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We’re not alone. We belong to a unique team of
independent butchers around the country who specialise in rare
breeds. Nearly all the leading chefs and food writers agree that
meat from British rare breeds is the best you can buy. That’s
why so many of them use meat from rare breeds in their own
restaurants.
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Every carcase we sell is certified as a pure
bred pedigree rare breed.
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Our commitment to providing the best means that
we properly hang all the meat and trim and prepare it fully and
lovingly
I n
centuries past, Britain was known as the stockyard of the world,
producing breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs that were the envy of
farmers everywhere. As times changed, so some of these breeds did
not suit new ways of more intensive farming.
The biggest changes came about after the Second World War when
farming became much more intensive as supermarkets grew and dictated
the sort of animals they needed. Many of the older British breeds
got left behind, unable to adapt to intensive systems. In 1973, a
charity, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) was
established to save the remaining breeds, many of which were in a
dire situation by then.
Since that time none has become extinct even though in the previous
decade several pig breeds disappeared forever. Much of the success
for rare breeds has been in finding new markets for them and the
most important has been in the developing niche market for their
specialist meat. Rare breeds of farm animals are unlike rare pandas,
tigers and gorillas. In the wild, it is important to try and
conserve every individual. In farming, it is important to have a
strong demand in order to encourage more farmers to keep more of
them.
So Why do Rare Breeds Taste Better?
There is no one reason but a number of very sound ones.
Different Genes = Different Tastes
We all know that different varieties of apples, for instance, have
totally different tastes, flavours and textures. The Golden
Delicious is very different from a Cox’s Orange Pippen which, in
turn, is different again from a Bramley Seedling. We find similar
differences in the humble potato where a Maris Piper is best for
chips but a Desiree is tops for baking. It shouldn’t be surprising
then that the same applies to different breeds.
  
In our meats section, you will find brief notes as to
the breed itself and how it will taste to help guide you in your
selection.
If you require more information, we'd be delighted to help. Please
send an e-mail to
mail@rarebreedsbutcher.com, or call us on +44 (0) 1531 632744
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