From Farm to Plate, Part 2: The Butchers

FROM FARM TO PLATE SERIES

Our new series of three films, titled ‘From Farm to Plate’, was created to tell the story of Greendale beef. The first film focuses on the Greendale beef herd as it grazes above the Jurassic coast; the second film pays a visit to the double award-winning butchers at Greendale Farm Shop; and the final film ends at The Salutation Inn in Topsham, where Chef Tom Williams-Hawkes prepares a special beef dish. These films are part of our campaign to promote the very best of local food and drink; we want our customers to understand the benefits of buying local, particularly traceability, high quality and low food-mileage. The films are intended as a sort of ‘window’ into the Greendale supply chain, showing customers exactly where their fresh fish and meat have come from.

Part 2: The Butchers

For the second of our films, we head over to Greendale Farm Shop to meet Richard, one of our Master Butchers. As we arrive, Richard is taking delivery of some Greendale beef from the local abattoir. The butchers meet up regularly with Sam, Greendale’s Farm Manager (and star of our first film!) to choose cattle for the Farm Shop. The abattoir is close to the pastures where the herd grazes – and less than eight miles from the Farm Shop – which means any stressful transportation while the animals are alive can be kept to a minimum. The Farm Shop has its own, purpose-built facility on site where the carcases are hung, on the bone, for a minimum of 21 days. This allows the meat to mature, developing wonderful tenderness and flavour.

Today’s delivery includes hindquarters, which Richard uses to show us where the ever-popular Sirloin joint comes from. Marbled with just the right amount of fat, and easy to cook, the Sirloin is Richard’s favourite – and if the butcher himself recommends it, you know it has to be good! Richard then moves on to show us the fore-quarter, explaining that he’ll be preparing a cut known as ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ (or flat rib) from it for chef Tom at The Salutation Inn. Tom has requested a cut from the middle, which is widely regarded as the best; nicely marbled, this delicious joint will roast slowly, and the bone is left in so that the meat develops deep, rich flavour as it cooks.

Richard is proud that Greendale Farm Shop sells meat from its own, locally-farmed cattle; he knows the herd has been properly managed, and likes being able to tell customers that their beef is fully traceable back to Greendale’s own farmland. Between them, Richard and our other Master Butcher, Stuart, have fifty years of experience behind the butchers’ counter – they work with a team of four to prepare fresh meat each day, helping customers to find the products they love and taking time to answer any questions. We often get good feedback about our butchers, and it was brilliant to see their hard work rewarded recently with a Taste of the West ‘Gold’ award in the Butcher category (following on from 2017’s Best South-West Butcher award).

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