Dexter Beef on Tele this week

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:21 am

Our 1/8th carcass (minus fillet) boxes of cling-wrapped cuts are £8.00/kg without problems, and they're easier for us to supply, so why charge less apart from a slight saving on butchery / packing? I believe people who vacuum pack charge a fair bit more. Our fillet, sold separately, is £25 a kilo which is probably slightly on the cheap side.

People sell carcasses at those prices as well, fully butchered.

I've calculated somewhere, from memory, that the cost of raising and butchering a middle-of-the-road Dexter is around £6 a kilo (i.e. the cost per kilo of the final meat you end up selling as an average, assuming you are paying the abattoir-butcher).

Don't know how this relates to just forequarter. But I do have loads of stats on what you get out of a carcass and the average prices so somewhere in there is the answer, but I'm getting ready for tupping today so can't dig it out.

Remembering I'm fairly new to this, when you say boned-out, do you mean butchered and ready to supply, or some other intermediary state, like in big pieces requiring further work?

Yes, the power of the TV is awesome but the effect will die back but hopefully overall we'll have established new customers by then. It certainly looks like it as I have had loads of calls telling a similar story.

I wonder what regular small Dexter Beef adverts in BBC Food Magazine etc would do for us? If enough people shared the cost, it mght be affordable? I get calls all the time for deals on advertising because they've got space left over and never take them up because it's outside our budget. Dead easy to arrange.

I've also had an approach to take space at the BBC Good Food Show (130,000 quality visitors) at a bargain price, and haven't followed that up either. I'm used to all this stuff, so it's just a matter of cost. There is a lot more we could do together to improve our lot.

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:38 pm

Sorry Martin i have just seen a mistake in the last posting. It should have been lbs. Just not up to speed with foriegn currency!

happy hollidays · Post by **happy hollidays** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:45 am

You worked so hard for the Dexter breed, thank you. I truly hope it brings in new customers. To follow on with an advert in the magazine now would be ideal to keep the momentum going, especially with the christmas festivities looming. I have said it before, but I am disappointed that the Dexter cattle society do not advertise in such a publication. If you want people to know about you, then you need to tell them that you exist. Clive has put endless hours of work into DBO and it is getting the results in, but imagine what national advertising could do for you. Would a small donation from everyone of us make a difference perhaps?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:39 am

Precisely Estelle, although to be fair, DCS cannot get commercial so I think something outside the society is the only way.

For as little as £2,000 a year on advertising/strategic marketing (which is what the TV bit was) we would absolutely guarantee to raise the profile of Dexter Beef nationally as the UK's ultimate beef. I personally would go much further, but one step at a time.

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:11 pm

I have had an email for grass fed Dexter beef in Scotland! Have replied to get more info but will ask if she saw the programme.
Hope you have received my cheque now!
Regards, Jo

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:38 pm

Yes, I recieved your cheque thanks Jo.

We've had loads of enquiries for lists of suppliers. We've had about 15 today and I've sent them out. We've also added farmers Markets where Dexter can be bought to the site and lists, so anyone who does one should let me have details, as per my email.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:08 pm

Your publicity has been so good that clients arriving at my clinic for at treatment have today spotted the Dexter cow as a screensaver on my computer and said they saw the programme and told me how good Dexter beef is!!!

Stephanie

happy hollidays · Post by **happy hollidays** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:30 pm

Clive, it is so good to hear this news, things are moving forward now. In my ignorance I was unaware that DCS could not become commercial. As there is so much money in their kitty, would it be possible for DCS to donate to DBO in order to buy the advertising space in the BBC food magazine? To reach out to jo public sooner whilst Dexter beef is fresh in their minds is essential. With regards to the show, could a group of you get together for this event?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:05 am

I don't think that DCS can provide finance for advertising or anything commercial and I agree with their views on this, due to the charitable status.

On the show and advertising. Carefully selected advertising would be a good investment. The BBC Good Food Show, in Birmingham, is mid-November. So if we did attend and got a resounding success, which we would, I don't think we'd be able to meet the demand. The demand and supply have to go hand in hand. No point gettng masses of orders and then turn around and saying I haven't got any. Next year hopefully.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:14 am

I think you are spot on there Broomcroft about supply or the lack of after all beef only grows/reproduces itself at a certain speed - unfortunately!

We are only hoping to supply our own family members with some beef and whilst we wouldn't mind chipping in to help promote the breed there is little point if demand then outstrips the supply from the "bigger" producers like yourselves.

Stephanie