'don't hate supermarkets and here's why...'

All of this nonsense with horse gate has really got me thinking. For a while now many independent butchers have taken to what I call Supermarket Bashing. And I really don't see why. Just focus on your own product, providing enjoyment. When I opened my shop I wanted somewhere that I would love to shop in. Where there was no pressure - you can buy as much or as little as you like, but you could browse and be inspired to think about food, new dishes and to engage the butcher about locality of sourcing. It is about customer service. The point is I'm not about Supermarket Bashing because there is no point. The supermarkets are a necessary evil when we forget the bacon and need a sandwich early Sunday morning. But I have never relished or enjoyed going to the supermarket but I used to get this rich satisfaction from going to my local butcher and I really hope my customers feel the same. The difference between us and them is the overall experience of shopping. Life's too short too eat bad meat and drink bad wine.

quality and good customer service and care. Don't get me wrong, the supermarkets have a lot to answer for, especially in terms of fair pricing and crushing the little guy. But I would never compare my little shop to a big store because for one thing it is about

gb

'there's neigh way I'm using that meat..'

Well it has all been rather interesting lately. Horse meat. Supermarkets. Many people have asked me if I've been busier, since news of the scandal. The answer is...I'm not sure. Having only been open 5 weeks, it is difficult to say. But what I have noticed is that more people have been asking questions about traceability. Where is it from?

I think it has also brought the cost of meat to the forefront of our minds. When given the choice is a businessman going to opt for a beef carcass worth £1500 or £100 worth of horse meat?

Either way it's got us thinking. I mainly just hope you're grateful I've not been using horse related puns...

gb

'haggis..'

So I had been in business for exactly 4 days and I thought it would be a great idea to start making my own haggis. Clearly I had lost the plot altogether!

However - I gathered the pluck and then trimmed it sufficiently. I then boiled the lungs and heart for about 45 mins, It was minced with some secret ingredients, then the barley and oats were added. This was then put through the filler and then into an Ox bung.

For a first try I was pretty pleased with it. It was Burn's Night so I thought I'd give it a bash. Loads of things in the pipe line at the moment - I've already put the bacon in to cure and we're developing an old Northumbrian dish called 'Hunter's Loaf'. So watch this space and feel free to pop in for a chat..

gb

'open for business..'

'Charlotte's Butchery' is now open for business. We had a cracking opening with the North East food God that is Terry Laybourne doing the opening for us. We then had a smashing couple of days - all a bit  amazing. Yes, hectic. Yes, full of challenges. But I hope the customers left happy and felt they should and could return. I am fully committed to ensuring that the butchering tradition stays well alive in Ashburton Village in Gosforth. I also want to encourage people to come to the area any way - there are many businesses which are fantastic. The Art House, Greenwell's - the greengrocer and all sorts of other services like fabulous podiatrists Howlett & Dickinson.

However the most popular things sold were lamb's liver, loin chops, topside and brisket. Top sellers. Must order triple next week. We're so not in London any more - we could barely give brisket away. Everything is regional, and every day's a school day.

Many thanks to absolutely every person who helped me along the way to opening. I am so very grateful and love you all. And clearly gushing. But. Thank you.

gb

'I am a very lucky girl indeed..'

So in between the mad dashing to meat suppliers (ha) I wanted to write a quick blog. So far, so good. We're all geared to open Friday 18th January 2013. Lots of fabulous ideas in the pipe line. Colin at AE Hubb has already created a fantastic customer base and some strong foundations to build on so I am a very lucky girl indeed.

I went to see the fabulous team at Thompson's in Bishop Auckland and we have been in conversation about supply of Welsh Pigs from County Durham and some stunning European cross beef from the farms in the area. A lot of the meat will be from County Durham, as I really like this abattoir and more importantly, their values. The key to all of this is to establish a relationship with suppliers. I saw the guys from Weschenfelder in Middlesbrough who were equally helpful and offering all sorts of possibilities.What is astounding is just how helpful all the contacts have been so far.
I am blown away by the levels of service.
 I think I've just been in London too long and missed the friendly nature of Northerners. I jest. Sort of.
However, I am very happy to be back and I'm looking forward to kicking off and settling in to Ashburton village - Gosforth.

In the 2 years I've been butchering - this is the longest that I have spent when I haven't cut anything.
I hope I still remember how to do it..

gb

www.charlottesbutchery.com

'I've never cooked a turkey before..'

Now being only 24 and still spending a lot of Christmases either with my parents or my in laws I have never actually had to cook the Christmas turkey. But this year my mother informed me that since I was bringing the fabulous woodland fed Kelly Bronze - I'd be cooking it. Cheers Mam. However, I am super excited. As this is one mother of a turkey. At 7.5 KG I'm going to cook it mainly upside down and for about three hours. This is because the structure of this poultry is as such that there are pockets of fat in the back of the bird that baste the breast meat which means that we avoid the issue of a dry turkey. Turkey reminiscent of Gandhi's flip flop is very bad indeed. I know I'm a butcher and I'm supposed to have this whole philosophy of meat on the bone being fabulous, however my favourite is shredding the meat off the legs and thighs, not munching on the drumstick as such - but enjoying the tenderness of the meat as it has much more depth in the way of taste.

However I hope everyone has a smashing day - check out this bonny turkey.
Happy Christmas.

gb

'chief execs..'

Fellow butchers come to our shop on a regular basis. And more often than not, they introduce themselves and we chat about business. However, it is more about presentation of counter, suppliers, quality of meat and new ideas - that fuel our conversation. Most butchers, if on holiday, will drag their poor friends or spouses just to 'have a look' in various meat emporiums. We tend to be a bit obsessive, looking at the way chops are cut or roasting joints are rolled..

However, it occurred to me the other day, that this is not tedious (really). It isn't even odd or eccentric..it's actually good. It's because we care. Now, I can't really see the chief execs of Tesco or Asda getting together to discuss how they present their steaks? Whether fattier cuts are selling? Or how exactly they flatten their cod fat?

Can you?

gb

'I don't believe in female butchers..'

I am, by no means a Suffragette. Never been a Feminist. I don't even believe in female butchers, as such. I just believe in, well informed butchers. Those that know their way around a carcass. Gender is neither here nor there to me. Someone in the meat industry that knows what to cook and how too cook it.

A customer was rather disgruntled at my gender very recently, My apologies. If you tell me what you want - I can assure you you'll get what you need. Give it a go. If you're not happy I'll refer you to another butcher - if it comes to it.

I'm not sorry I'm not a boy. But I promise you - you won't be disappointed. But you'll never know until you try it.

gb

'wise old cattle..'

So the sagely cattle nod their heads wisely - knowing exactly how to pack a flavoursome punch; possessing a deep, dark secret that will allow their meat to be rich and tender and a sensation on the taste buds. This would be a rather romantic and far more interesting way of explaining the ageing process for cattle - but sadly it is slightly more technical than that..

'Aged meat' is not the clever cattle, the ones 'in the know'. It is a process that commences after slaughter. It mainly involves placing meat in a specialised fridge and leaving it for a few weeks.  This can be an exercise in patience. These fridges extract all moisture out of the air insuring no bacteria gets into the meat and it preserves it rather than allowing the decaying process to set in. However, don't try this at home as domestic fridges can't cope with the drying. Also you would be lucky to fit a body of beef in your fridge!

It is always better to cook meat in as big a piece possible, as it is far more likely to be tender - the same is true of ageing. This is why you we don't age each steak piece by piece. For a start, we'd be there forever but also it is impractical. This is because, when we dry age meat it shrinks. Aged meat often costs more money due to the butcher having paid for an original weight and then having to incur those costs once the meat has shrunk.

There is of course a difference between ageing meat and 'old' meat. Old meat is the stuff your butcher is desperately trying to flog you in the hope of not having to put a nice piece of fillet steak into the mince. The best aged meat is claret in colour and the fat is a perfect white. However, and this is important, there is nothing wrong with beef that is slightly discoloured. Essentially when oxygen hits red meat, it turns it brown - this will not affect the taste in any way. I promise. But sadly we have a tendency to buy raw meat with our eyes and not our imaginations.

How long should you age meat for? The best amount of time is between 21 and 28 days. So we're talking a minimum of 3 weeks after the cattle have been slaughtered. This just allows the meat to mature and for the flavour to develop. If you prefer your beef to taste gamey, why not ask your butcher to age it for longer? I have tried 60 day aged beef and whilst I was in awe, the flavour was rather over powering and very rich. In contrast to this, totally fresh meat is likely to be far more chewy and lacking a quality that will truly satisfy proper steak hunger. This is when we crave iron, when we really fancy red meat.

gb

'think outside the box..' campaign post #2

The second of a few rants about boxed meat. This one is about choice. Now, I'm not necessarily referring to the 'choice' in beef as in the cut of meat, or prime rib, fore rib, sirloin or anything from the choice as such. I'm talking about our right to choose. Now as it stands most butchers, do not get full bodies of beef in. Gone are the days of seeing fore quarters and hind quarters being delivered into a shop. There are still a few of course that do, but I can guarantee you that they will have to supplement it with boxed meat. Whether this is boxed chuck for mincing or dicing or extra fillet as each loin only has the one and it is the sort of thing which can fly out for that Friday night steak night.

Now I know not all butchers are cooks, but sometimes it is worth quizzing them. If you go into a shop and they don't have what you are looking for, why not ask them for an alternative. Instead of chuck steak, why not try clod or neck? There are so many fantastic beef cuts, like salmon, bowler or feather. Now feather steaks, once the gristle has been taken out, are sublime. Just quickly fried. We need to start exploring our options when it comes to cooking, there are so many choices, why not choose something else?

gb

'my busman's holiday..'

So when living in London, the obvious place to go to on holiday is the tropical and balmy Manchester. Barmy is the word. However I wanted to spend my summer break learning the ways of a different butchery. Now, being a Northern girl myself I didn't find it too difficult to adapt but I was astounded to see the difference in what people were buying and talking about what they were cooking. Food is so veryb regional. So I went to WH Frost which is a long-serving Chorlton based family business. This was after @frostybutcher was willing to take me on for a week.

The week was a real insight into the workings of a different business, specialising in retail and catering. I spent most of my week working in the shop, prepping meat, and I removed a lot of marrow from bones for burgers - which was more fun than it sounds. However, I was also treated to a visit to the abattoir - which was a fascinating experience, and one I wish to repeat and learn more about. Learning how to buy meat when still a full carcass is a skill not many master, but Jack Frost has it nailed.

A big thank you to the team at Frost's for making me feel so welcome and making me feel at home. Even if @frostybutcher ended up with a cup of tea thrown over him. What a fabulous week, such a privilege. Ah well back to work tomorrow in beautiful Holland Park but perhaps I'll partake in a Northern Sunday lunch first..

gb

'game I've been cheating..'

So the Glorious Twelfth came and went. Now, the reason I hadn't mentioned it too much was because to my shame I am not a big game fan at all. I do actually eat it but when given the choice I find it a big hassle and too strong a flavour. But I'm Northern and a lot of my friends shoot. So due to pressure from friends and the fact that we sell it! How can I sell something I haven't tried?

I thought I'd actually give grouse a go, it being the first bird and all.. Now grouse are, I have to say an anorexic creature. There is no fat on these birds at all. You can imagine why I was dubious. So when I cooked it off I whacked on some smoked streaky bacon. I had initially hoped this would remove the game flavour and replace it with crispy bacon. This turned out, shockingly, not to be the case.

But it did infuse the breast of the bird with moisture. I found the meat to be juicy with a pleasant flavour. No one was more surprised than me. The texture of the meat was gentle and smooth, and the meat was almost sweet. I am without doubt a convert. The skin was too strong but the flesh itself was very soft and tender indeed. Perfect September starter material. And yes, starter as there is still nothing on these tiny birds, but blimey what a taste.

gb

'the feast fest to end even the worst hangover..'

So there I was, at work, when a lovely lady wanted to buy some chickens. This is not an unusual occurrence. However we got chatting and it turns out these chickens were for her supper club. Not just any supper club. So I had to try it. The story behind it is this, one Sunday some friends decided they were so hungover the only thing that could cure such discomfort would be a top notch Sunday lunch. With all the works. But sadly, they couldn't find exactly what they were looking for, no pub (gastro or otherwise), brasserie, cafe or eatery could satisfy their need. So Emily started this feast fest and it evolved and became what it is today. The Secret Sunday Lunch Club I don't want to give much of the experience away. But it's in Notting Hill and it is amazing. You won't need to eat again for a week, so for thirty-five quid you can't complain. Emily always serves amazing and quirky side dishes and the dessert. Oh my God. Amazing. She also ensures her meat is of the finest quality and usually uses different cuts of meat, or instance using pork belly over loin. She cooks them to perfection too. I had a fantastic afternoon, very sociable and stuffing! If you fancy a supper club I absolutely recommend this one.

gb

'wives can make exceptional husbands..'

Honesty time. I love promoting specific breeds of animal. I think it is essential if we are to continue the traditional standards and reputation of British meat, particularly beef. Angus, I can take or leave. This is not because it is Scottish - I love Scottish meat too. However it has become a commodity. Everyone has gone mental over it. And why? And this is a shocking thing to admit but good meat has nothing to do with good breeding. Quality is not breed specific. I've said it - it's out there I know. I have worked with Long Horn, Dexter, Belted Galloway, Angus..to name but a few. But I have to say, what it boils down to is love and affection. This is from the farmer; no one loves animals as much as a good farmer. I know I've banged on about this before, but it is a message worth reiterating. Farmers devote their lives and cherish their livestock. The ancient habits of husbandry is essential to good farming. Husbandry is the care, attention and nurturing of domestic animals. On amazing farmer who I know of is Judith Freane from Brown Cow Organics. I've had the privilege of working closely with this beef and it is stunning. The flesh is a deep red, it ages to perfection, it is consistent and the flavour is beefy yet malleable. And the fat on it is a wonderful creamy shade. Although this beef has Angus in it, it is not a pure-bred. However, due to the Freane philosophy, this beef is beautiful. This is living proof that good husbandry from a decent farmer can produce fantastic meat on a non pure-bred basis. We all need to get off our high horses, there's no need to be snobbish about breeds. Good meat is not breed specific, yes it can help, but there's more to it than that. Surely if it is grass-fed, British and cared for. Because, I'll tell you this, if it fits these criteria it will be tasty as hell..

gb

'promoting junk food..'

So how can I possibly avoid the Olympics? Answer, I can't.
So a word on sponsorship. So the only 2 official partners/sponsors of the 2012 Games with regard to food are Cadbury and McDonald's. any people have criticized this as 'promoting' junk food. Now, okay, I do see their arguments however surely we can look beyond these standard stereotypes. I can't really comment on Cadbury although I hope that their dairy sourcing is as ethical as it can be, but that's a different blog for a different day.

However out of all of the fast food chains out there, McDonald's are probably the best of a bad bunch. They were one of the first places to get their food ingredients and nutrition information out to the public.They are the first to admit when something isn't going right and also they try and change to appease their diners. Whether this is switching to Fair Trade coffee, opening 24 hours a day, or treating their staff very well indeed. Their website is good and easy to understand and it also has facts about the importance of a balanced diet. They even have a 'nutrition' calculator on their website?! Yes okay they do whack a hell of a lot of sugar into their products, but they are honest about it. We have to respect that. Oh and their an enormous international giant - so they must be doing something right.
Honesty is the best policy - as always.

(team) gb

'think outside the box..' campaign post #1

More and more meat purveyors are relying on boxed meat. Now why is this? It's because every carcass only has a certain amount of rib eye, a certain amount of fillet and sirloin? So for instance if you want a 3 bone rib of beef you can't use the same piece for rib eye steaks. So most butchers top up their carcass meat with boxed beef (shock horror - some don't even get beef in). Boxed beef is cut by giant meat plants that then distribute the loin and rib, or packed fillets, or whole rumps...like a butcher's butcher. 

Okay, so why not get in extra carcasses? Because the amount of trim/excess fat/gristle/bone would be enormous. The bain of the butcher - waste. However I want to suggest that it is do-able. It has to be. So how do we get around this problem? Right, as the consumer we have to start eating other parts of the beef, is has to be cost effective. And if you know how to cook it - I can assure you - you won't want  fillet ever again.

gb

'a terrible scenario..'

So I returned home from work after my half day. Just in time to catch the tail end of 'Loose Women'. And no, this is not the terrible scenario I am referring to, (I happen to love the Loose ladies). But they said that a third of 16-23 year olds don't know that bacon comes from pigs. Obviously this is a huge number. I'm not sure where they acquired the stat and I don't know how they gathered the group for the research. Either way it represents something tragic.

Everyone I have spoke to said they weren't surprised & 'so whose to blame? Parents? The Government? Schools?'. I partially blame butchers. Why aren't we working harder to promote or evangelise about meat sourcing and what our products are? Why do customers & the general public feel they can't ask their butchers questions without it being a deep inconvenience? Well I'm telling you now - I want questions. Hassle the hell out of me - it's no trouble, I'm asking you to! And please don't feel ignorant - I'm a to-the-point Northerner and would never accuse you of stupidity. Shy bairns get nowt.

The main thing that concerned me was that these young people (even though I'm a shocking 1 year older..) did not think to question what they were eating and where it came from. I don't think we should consume without questioning. Otherwise we're going down a slippery slope of E numbers, additives & stabilisers.

It's not about knowing it's about asking.

gb

'young british foodie..'

Last night was the Awards evening for the Young British Foodie Award. Aspiring chefs, food experimentalists, baristas, mixologists, charcutiers and people with a passion for food generally took part in this new and exciting competition. I thought I would take a punt in the meat category.

I have been experimenting with a black pudding recipe since my journey into butchery began really and I thought this might be a fun way of show casing my idea, and also to receive some harsh and realistic criticism. Rather than giving it to mates who would tell me it tasted awesome even if it was rubbish. (I refer back to the Black Pudding prototype of the early days...). However after several nightmare attempts I sorted the recipe for Girl Butcher's Pepper Pudding. And it went down well. Thank God.

The judging took place in the quirky venue of Meat Liquor I was the second of three finalists. I got to meet the lovely Mark who runs Monty's Deli and he did this incredible pastrami, which he does with brisket - superb. The other was Matt who is a very fine charcutier - this man knows his stuff. After we had been judged we all stayed around for a beer (..or two) and we chatted for a long time about the meat industry and various cooking methods. It felt fantastic to be a meat geek and be surrounded by people with equal geek-i-ness.

This was then well and truly re-endorsed last night, so many people just so passionate about food. It was incredible. It was also a pleasure to meet many people from Twitter, who have supported and helped me so far too. I feel like a very lucky girl indeed.

Buzzing, still.

gb

'a pig's head can cause a spectacle..'

Should meat look like a dead animal or should it be lined up neatly fully trimmed? Yesterday I was standing on Holland Park Avenue wearing a straw boater and a boat tie - had I not been wearing chain mail too I think people would have thought I was about to crack out a tap dance - I was also holding a large cleaver and a Gloucester Old Spot's head. Yes. A pig's head. This was not, I might add, for general amusement this was actually for an article for a newspaper. However I found myself to appear a bit of a spectacle. People stopped to make comments and ask questions, tourists were even taking photos! I also tried to hide said head whenever children went by, mainly because it can make for unpleasant question asking to parents. 'Mummy who killed Peppa?' etc. etc. But do we try and conceal the fact that meat is dead animals? They were once a cute spring time lamb, majestic cattle, or curious snuffling piglet. I think, even for me, when I see it on the block at work I still see meat, substantially bigger of course - I don't see it as a dead animal. Due to health and hygiene we only get it in after it has been skinned and beheaded (apart from the pigs clearly). I think we probably should face facts. We are eating dead animals, we have to be honest with ourselves. But we also have to remember that no one loves animals more than farmers - because it is their livelihood. And these animals would most likely be extinct if we did not eat them, because that is what they are bred for. 

Maybe if we'd eaten it, the dodo might have stood a chance..

gb

'even I love my local butcher..'

If I were to buy meat from a supermarket it would be definitive hypocrisy. Like worthy of dictionary, or at the very least Wikipedia definition. I do like to utilise my local shops and businesses, so that they remain in business. Whilst the High Street in general is struggling to survive, it is essential we use the products and services around us. Now as a butcher it has taken a lot for me not to buy from where I work, since I know just how fantastic the quality is. And believe me the meat I have the privilege of working with is phenomenal.

But just to prove a point I have started buying my meat from my local butcher. I am very lucky indeed to have a quality butcher just around the corner, and of course not everyone is this lucky. The butcher is another Q Guild butcher. As you know I work for Lidgate's which is also part of the Guild and I've worked for George Payne in Newcastle which (you've guessed it) is also Q Guild. I have also worked in other butcheries which are not Q, and that is certainly not to say that they haven't been fantastic businesses, offering me some valid teaching and experience. What the Q does offer however is the certainty that if you visit a Q shop you will undoubtedly receive quality meat and the very best service. Definitely check out the website http://www.qguild.co.uk

I currently buy from HG Walter by Baron's Court tube station - they have no idea that I'm a butcher.
Maybe it's time I 'fessed up..

gb