Grass-Fed Beef at the Co-op

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:41 am

Did anyone else see the advert, or was I dreaming? The Co-op advertising grass-fed beef? Hope this is the start of a general trend.

From what I've read as well, all the stuff about cattle carbon does not apply to grass-reared cattle which are broadly carbon neutral because of what they put back. Hope that's the next message to get through.

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Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 2:51 pm

No you were not dreaming Clive. It is also "half price" - and we all know who funds the price reductions.

I do think it sends a very bad message to the customer - first that there is such a margin on the product that the big shops can still sell it at half price, and second that the big shops are the good guys reducing the cost to the housewife.

It also devalues food generally in a society where we are paying less than ever before as a proportion of our disposable income on food.

Grass fed? Well they were out for six weeks last summer.

The Isle of Bute used to have a Co-op and a supermarket which has been under various banners over the years but recently was Somerfield which was taken over by the Co-op, but it does not constitue a monopoly as the original Co-op shop is only little. Can't quite work out the logic of that.
Duncan

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:09 pm

I'm going to buy some and see what it's like.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:20 pm

A slight tangent.

We bought a rib of Ruby beef at a show, grass reared and it went in the freezer until last Friday. We wanted to see what it was like and compare it to Dexter.

We were looking forward to it - a breed we had considered keeping but it was flavourless and the texture was quite coarse. Not at all what we had expected.

Stephanie

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 8:21 am

Supermarkets can reduce their grass-fed beef as much as they like, but if they're commercial cattle I don't think they will have been wholly grass-fed since they were calves.

I don't think there is anything to beat truly grass reared Dexter beef. I delivered my second carcass this month to a regular pub/restaurant. They had run out of Dexter beef the previous night & apparently there were - to quote the owner/chef - "lots of moans and groans." They had to make do with Longhorn,which was probably very nice, but just not as tasty as Dexter.

The chefs I deal with want locally reared genuine grass-fed beef and our Dexter beef with its own unique flavour is in a class of its own.

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:50 am

Saffy wrote:A slight tangent.

We bought a rib of Ruby beef at a show, grass reared and it went in the freezer until last Friday. We wanted to see what it was like and compare it to Dexter.

We were looking forward to it - a breed we had considered keeping but it was flavourless and the texture was quite coarse. Not at all what we had expected.

Stephanie

Yes, we've had the same experience and with other breeds as well Stephanie. But, Red Ruby Devon / Dexter cross that we have tried a number of times was excellent. I prefer Dexter, but Caroline prefers the cross, it's her favourite beef. But not pure Ruby which neither of us rated. Maybe we didn't get a good bit, but have tried it twice.

With the grass-fed thing, there is no standard in the UK which is a shame. In the US they have a standard and also an American Grass-Fed Association, with standards and feeds you can and can't use. They recognise that you can't do truly grass-fed unless you live somewhere where they don't have winters. I was going to join the Association but their list of alternative feeds for the winter is too American. Haven't got many peanut hulls over here!

I've just seen a report by someone who tried the Co-Op grass fed beef and they said it was dreadful, the worst beef they have ever eaten!!! Sorry Co-Op.

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davidw · Post by **davidw** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:13 pm

Did you see the recent publicity about the Co-op. Although they claim to support "Fairtrade for third world farmers", they pay UK dairy farmers the lowest prices of any major supermarket for their milk. As a company that used to operate its own farms, I feel its inexcuseable.
Lets hope that the supermarkets are not using beef as a loss leader in the same way that has largely destroyed the dairy sector.

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:54 am

At last a more sensible view on grass fed beef / methane emissions in the mainstream press http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 974621.ece

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Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:53 pm

That's a fantastic article Ben. As you say, about time too. Those are the figures I have seen, that agriculture is more like 5-7% of emissions in the UK, not 18%, and also that cattle raised naturally put back what they take and are part of a natural cycle for the land. The 18% includes chopping down rain forests and we haven't got many of those in the UK.

I've got a book that tells you about mob-grazing, it's fascinating.

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Colin · Post by **Colin** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:39 pm

Clive,

What's the book ?

Regards,

Colin

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:22 pm

Hi Colin - It's "Grass-Fed Cattle" by Julius Raechel (not sure of spelling of his name). Should be on Amazon. To me, the best grass-fed/natural rearing book I have found.

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SteveM · Post by **SteveM** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:52 pm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grass-Fed-Cattl ... 1580176054

Have a copy, very interesting read, particularly the sections on flight zones and animal handling

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Colin · Post by **Colin** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:59 am

Great, thanks. I've just ordered it.

Regards,

Colin

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:46 am

How to select bulls and cows is interesting as well. These people have been looking at rearing livestock to live out on the plains and survive for generations, so they have an enormous amount of experience. I think it's Julius Reachel who's family has a small farm in the Argentine with 50,000 head of cattle!