'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