Gloucester Old Spot
 

What makes for good meat

Good meat takes time and effort. Our herd are traditional breeds of Aberdeen Angus and Hereford. The animals are raised outside, living normal, contented lives and growing slowly on the lush Cheshire pastures.

When the time comes, they're taken to a local abattoir for quick, painless slaughter. The meat is then hung for a long time before it is butchered.

Because of this, the meat is fully matured, and develops a rich, characteristic flavour.

 

    

 

Hanging the meat
 
This is one of the most important stages in producing great tasting meat.
When you try any of Stockton & Stratton’s range of beef and pork, we’re absolutely sure you’ll be impressed and amazed by its taste and texture. It has a depth of flavour that most meat simply doesn’t have. And it is tender beyond belief, without any of the chewiness that ordinary meat has.
 
Why is it so good? 

This is because we hang the meat properly before we butcher it. This means hanging it for a long time – at least 21 days for beef, 10 days for pork and 10 days for lamb. During hanging,  the meat changes – the fibres relax and flavours develop, producing the top-quality result you enjoy.

And why don’t most people do this? – because it costs more and it’s more difficult to manage. The carcasses lose weight while they’re hanging,  so we end up with less to sell – up to 20% less. It takes more space and careful management to make sure the right carcass is butchered at the right time. It’s a lot easier to butcher the meat after only a short time, so that’s what most producers and butchers do.

This is why most meat looks bright red. Don’t think for a moment that this is a sign of good quality – it just means that it hasn’t been hung properly, and shortcuts have been taken. Our meat has the characteristic dull red-brown colour that really good meat has – colour that only develops with time.