For farmers Clifford Freeman and Matthew Rymer it represents the fruits of a long labour to save the Gloucester Cattle Breed from extinction by working towards what they believe will be the UK’s most sought after beef.
Two years in the development, the first fresh cuts are now available direct from their farms, and strictly limited to those who live within six miles of Gloucester’s River Severn.
Each Pedigree Gloucester is born and hand reared, slowly fattened and only ever grass fed in the riverside meadows and orchards of the Gloucester Vale. Each is slaughtered, privately hung for 32 days and butchered all within six miles of birth and life. The initiative commits to involving no cereals, no additives, no stress, no motorways, no shortcuts and no lies.
Freeman, who has the UK’s largest herd of Gloucesters, says: “We have worked on every aspect of the animal’s life and worked with butchers and several leading chefs to create both a life story and a beef product we believe provides people the opportunity to enjoy the most tender, tastiest and rarest beef they will have ever eaten, confident each animal has enjoyed the best possible life.”
Matthew Rymer adds: "The Gloucester Vale is one of the finest cattle rearing landscapes in the country with its own indigenous breed of cattle. We want to put the region back on the map with this champion product. Consumers would rather eat less meat but pay a premium to have total confidence in its provenance. We want to shift the emphasis from unsustainable homogenised farming systems and breeds, where fast fed animals often travel 300 miles or more to their slaughter (which is dreadful) and all connection with the local environment and community is lost. It is a sad fact that the meat industry remains one of the most dishonest trades."
Vacuum packed cuts, each carrying Happerley Farmed traceability, are available from Willow Hill Farm in Apperley (near Gloucester) opening daily from Monday-Friday 3pm - 6.30pm, where visitors will also be able to see a herd of Gloucesters.
Call 01242 222848 or visit www.gloucesterbeef.co.uk for more information.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
