Our pork, beef and lamb comes largely from our own land, from Blansby Park, East Moor and Grange farm up in North Yorkshire. The latter is where I live; where our main butchery and offices are, and where our stockmen and women - the people who look after our animals - come and sit at my kitchen table each day for their lunch. This meat is supplemented with animals reared from our breeding stock, by a number of farmers with whom I have worked closely to ensure that every chop, shoulder and steak is exactly as I want it to be. Each of the fields we own completes a seven-year lifecycle, from lush green grass in year one, through wheat, barley and fodderbeat, to grazing pasture for cattle and sheep. This lifecycle makes us one of the most sustainable farms in the UK; a varied mix of arable and livestock which helps to keep the land rich and fertile - without pumping it full of chemicals.
The British poultry we sell is free range, and comes from two fantastic farms. The fourth generation Packington farm in Staffordshire provides us with a very good free range chicken, while the Botterills - old friends of mine - on the Belvoir Estate rear for us a slightly older, richer, heritage-breed bird, as well as our Christmas turkeys and geese. We are the only business to buy from the Botterills, and the father and son team continue to be an inspiration to me, such is their dedication to animal husbandry and quality.
A bit over a year ago, Askew Road butcher Tom and I started visiting Rungis market just outside of Paris each week. We'd select free range French poultry - poulet noir, poulet de Bresse, proper Barbarie ducks - and Limousin veal, because we simply haven't found products like them in the UK. While there's a lot to be said about the importance of using English dairy bulls rather than wasting them, Limousin veal attracts me because of its flavour and heritage. Limousin cattle are reared specifically for meat, and while the beef can be tough, the veal is simply superb. Calves are outdoor-reared with their mother until slaughter, and so suckle on mother's milk its entire life rather than being weaned and removed. Each body of Limousin veal carries a certificate of authenticity, and with this a promise of quality and transparency of source. We're the only British butcher who can buy directly in Rungis market, and Tom now makes these weekly trips himself - he's becoming quite the rosbeef celebrity around the market halls.
Of the cooked things we sell - from lasagne and stews to our infamous sausage rolls - everything is made in house. The prepared meals are made in our Askew Road and Moxon street shop kitchens, with meat from the counter and fresh ingredients as you would at home. Our pies, sausage rolls, hams and terrines are made by head baker Les and his team at Grange farm, from the same meat that goes down to our London shops.
While you're not going to get the cheapest meat from the Ginger Pig, what you are getting is an assurance of quality, flavour, good animal husbandry and value - and we're not as expensive as some might think. We're never going to be able to produce a burger for 50p, but if you compare the closest a supermarket can produce to our meat in terms of quality, you might be surprised by the price. As of their website today, Tesco beef mince is £11.90/kg whereas ours is £9.50/kg; their pork escalopes are £16.06/kg where ours are £9.60/kg; their rump steak £35.44/kg where ours is £21.50/kg, and their chicken breast supremes - only supplied frozen - are £22.13/kg where ours are £13.50/kg. Like I mention above; we're never going to be cheap, but we do represent good value.
As ever, if you have any questions about what we sell or how it is produced, do get in touch.
Tim Wilson
Owner and founder of the Ginger Pig
Customer enquiries:
01751 460091
Press and media enquiries:
The fact that Tesco dares to sell any meat whatsoever at more expensive rates that the equivalent GP offerings is the REAL scandal here.
ReplyDeleteHow very dare they.
Keep up the great work Tim - Provenance is so important in this increasingly bland Supermarket driven world. You and your team remain the inspiration and benchmark for top quality UK meat and farming.
ReplyDeleteChris (Ex Moreno Wines! Hope all is well!)
Yeah keep up the good work Tim. I was one of those people that was worried about shopping in the Ginger Pig too often, because of the price. But the quality of the produce is so good it's so worth it. Now I'd rather eat less meat but better quality meat when I do. If only more people did what you do, the world would be a better place.
ReplyDeleteI visited your Askew Road shop for the first time yesterday precisely because I have been very worried about the meat I buy from the supermarkets. I'm very pleased with the items I bought and I will definately be buying my meat from you from now on. It's reassuring to know where the meat comes from and they are fed and looked after well.
ReplyDeleteI think you've been a little selective with items from Tesco's website, choosing mostly more expensive Graig Farm products.
ReplyDeleteTesco own brand organic beef mince 500g is £7.50/kg
Tesco own brand organic rump steak is £15.00/kg
I'm not disputing the likely higher quality of your meat
Thanks everyone for your comments and well wishes. Tim is currently on his way to France to pick up a week's worth of lovely stuff, so it's Nicola replying in his absence.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the prices chosen for comparison, we did indeed opt for the Graig Farm meat, simply because it's the only range to promote the farm, offer native breeds (as we do) and offer something comparable in terms traceability. The fact that the Graig Farm range was added last week, as a reaction to the ongoing scandal - at a much higher price than you'll pay inn most butcher shops - feels a little bit cynical to me, but on the other hand it's good to see a turnaround in terms of quality.
In the name of all that is holy, why do you not have a shop in Chelsea...:(
ReplyDeleteIn respect of the Graig Farm products, as seen on the Tesco website, this wasn't a cynical move by Tesco, regarding the current meat scandal which is ongoing. The background is that Tesco had been planning a 'Foodhall', containing premium products for over a year and Graig Farm Organics (http://www.graigfarm.co.uk) were asked to be one of their initial 6 premium suppliers, along with the likes of Forman & Field etc. It's unfortunate that the horsemeat scandal came to light at the same time the Tesco Foodhall was launching, but with the wheels in a large organisation already being in motion the launch wasn't something that could have easily been stalled
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate that it can be seen as a cynical move, but I can assure you, as a consultant with Graig Farm who was involved in this contract, that Tesco's intentions was purely to move further in the premium space
It's only now that Tesco's are starting to promote the Foodhall
It's also worth noting that currently the Graig Farm products are only available online, through one of the Tesco 'dark stores', targetting a specific area of London. If you log into the Tesco website, unless you're in the particular catchment of the dark store, the products won't be available to purchase, you're only able to see the products as a general visitor to their site
In terms of the general theme running through this topic, I'm also encouraged that the supermarkets and general consumers are beginning to realise the benefits in small scale, ethical and enviromentally friendly farming techniques, small supply chain and high quality products, which is in everyone's interest