Collaboration Is King
We took the shortish trip out to Coggeshall in Essex last week to meet up with George and Howard Blackwell of the Rare Breed Meat Company. The father and son run a farming and butchery business with a highly collaborative approach to the rearing of their poultry, pork, beef and lamb . Much of their livestock is kept and catered for on local farms where the animals can enjoy the very best environment and husbandry.
The Blackwell farm is occupied right now with the young Norfolk goslings that will number up to 2,000 by December. These chicks spend their early weeks in this warm dry and spacious shed feeding on straw and a highly nutritious and balanced diet. In a couple of weeks they’ll take to the expansive pastures just out of shot where there is plenty of shade from the summer sun and from where, each evening they’ll be brought back into the warmth and security of barns like this one.
5 minutes away much of their Gloucester Old Spot rare breed pigs are reared to 40 weeks (these ones are about 3 months old). Their Blythburgh rare breed pigs, from which we take our bacon, are reared for them on the Suffolk coast (you can see the blog from this farm here).
We were able to see the quite exceptional British White, Limousine, English Longhorn and rare breed Suckler herd beef cattle. These herds are kept below 100 in number and have the warmth and protection of the sheds as well as the green, shaded pastures just outside. Both are appreciated! The suckler herds spend longer with their mothers on their milk and a full year on grass. Its this husbandry as much as the breed that creates some of the finest looking and best conditioned beef you’re likely to buy.
With all operations within easy reach George and Howard can easily oversee the management of their entire stock and the results are……….well, why don't you tell us?
