Goatober, a month long festival and campaign celebrating the billy goat meat industry, is coming to the UK this October for the first time.
This festival is already well established in the USA and has been taking place each October for several years now. The celebration sees goat dairy and meat producers working together to highlight and promote this underrated and under-valued meat.
Much like the USA’s version of the campaign, the UK will be encouraging chefs to provide goat meat inspired dishes for numerous restaurant menus. This is good news for UK goat meat producers – and butchers can also get in on the act by creating goat meat dishes and adding special offers to their shop counters.
Cabrito, a company that supplies goat meat to restaurants around Britain, will be teaming up with The Jugged Hare restaurant in London on 5th October to host a competition to draw more attention to Goatober. It has asked six top chefs to each create a unique dish that incorporates goat meat, to be served in the restaurant. The night will also include a charity auction where all proceeds go to Action Against Hunger.
Other restaurant chains taking part in Goatober include: ETM Group, HIX Restaurants, River Cottage Canteens, Moro, Shotgun BBQ and Romy’s Kitchen. Among some of the dishes being served across these restaurants are Smoked Kid Loin and Pulled Shoulder of Goat with Puri and Glazed Onions.
Farms and producers are also getting involved in Goatober.
John and Julie Joseph from Trecorras Farm in Herefordshire provide kid goat meat to local restaurants in Herefordshire and London. In preparation for Goatober and Slow Food week (another campaign highlighting the use of meats) they have been asking chefs and restaurants to support the festival by offering goat meat on their menus during October to help promote the month long campaign.
Goat meat is emerging as a more ethical source of meat. Due to female goats predominantly being seen as more useful due to their milk production, male goats are often killed at birth in Britain. This campaign helps to highlight the use of kid goat meat.
Goat meat is also healthier than some other meats as it is low in fat compared to beef and pork and provides a great source of iron and potassium.
Goatober supports the use of kid meat being used for foods and even supermarkets are beginning to create meals that include goat meat.
The aim is to encourage more people to try goat meat and to make more consumers aware of the under-used goat meat industry. Due to Goatober in the USA, the popularity of using goat meat in recipes and menus has increased and is now becoming more widely seen across restaurant chains. The UK hope for the same effect.
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.
