Hello everyone
shamefully this is my 1st foray into discussion and as I now have aquired a 'new hat' thought I'd share a view.
We actually hang (2-3 weeks) and butcher on the farm, our slaughter costs are £40 and £60 for the butcher who visits us. We buy packaging and labelling seperately. Our overall selling prices are 12.5% above the high street butchers. We sell direct to the public and they do not question the price for a premium product. I agree with Penny presentation and marketing is everything.
I too am keen to get together with other Dexter Beef producers to collate and share information. I will endevour to move this forward in 2005.
Caroline
ps Peter, does your butcher not have a mortgage to pay?
Beef Prices - Prices achievable through private sales
This is developing into a most interesting and educative topic!
I am no expert but my experience with slaughter and butchery has brought me to the conclusion that it is a vastly underestimated part of the meat production chain in terms of saleablity and profit.
The key elements seem to be tenderness,presentation,yield,processing,and packaging.In all of those elements the difference between excellence and ordinary is enormous.Issues like slaughter method,degree of hanging,amount of deboning,amount of stringing,fat profile,amount of drip losses,average value of cuts,% of usable meat extracted,degree of drip losses,type of packing,method of packing,extent to which value can be added by processing and so on make a huge difference to saleability and profit.
I strongly recommend a short MLC course on butchery so that you have the knowledge to make an informed judgement on whether you are maximising the value for money you obtain from your slaughterer and butcher.This is not a simple matter and certainly cannot be judged solely on the price you are asked to pay.
PS there are so many(and growing) conventional wisdoms about this subject that you should not take anything at face value but research yourself.For example we all nod wisely at hanging for at least 3 weeks.Why 3 weeks when the beef may be young enough for only 2?Why go over 3 weeks when all you do is loose meat to dryness and slime?Why hang forequarters for more than 4 days when all you get is increased drip losses?Why insist on carcass hanging when chosen parts can be matured separately? etc etc
I am no expert but my experience with slaughter and butchery has brought me to the conclusion that it is a vastly underestimated part of the meat production chain in terms of saleablity and profit.
The key elements seem to be tenderness,presentation,yield,processing,and packaging.In all of those elements the difference between excellence and ordinary is enormous.Issues like slaughter method,degree of hanging,amount of deboning,amount of stringing,fat profile,amount of drip losses,average value of cuts,% of usable meat extracted,degree of drip losses,type of packing,method of packing,extent to which value can be added by processing and so on make a huge difference to saleability and profit.
I strongly recommend a short MLC course on butchery so that you have the knowledge to make an informed judgement on whether you are maximising the value for money you obtain from your slaughterer and butcher.This is not a simple matter and certainly cannot be judged solely on the price you are asked to pay.
PS there are so many(and growing) conventional wisdoms about this subject that you should not take anything at face value but research yourself.For example we all nod wisely at hanging for at least 3 weeks.Why 3 weeks when the beef may be young enough for only 2?Why go over 3 weeks when all you do is loose meat to dryness and slime?Why hang forequarters for more than 4 days when all you get is increased drip losses?Why insist on carcass hanging when chosen parts can be matured separately? etc etc
Hi everone
Happy 2005 to you all, ist time I've looked at this subject since 17/12/2004 and I also query why people hang meat for 3 weeks, mine is hung for approx 14 days and it melts in your mouth when you've cooked it, i think there is a bit of hype on this subject, if an animal has been handled kindly I can see no reason to hang meat longer
Ann
Happy 2005 to you all, ist time I've looked at this subject since 17/12/2004 and I also query why people hang meat for 3 weeks, mine is hung for approx 14 days and it melts in your mouth when you've cooked it, i think there is a bit of hype on this subject, if an animal has been handled kindly I can see no reason to hang meat longer
Ann
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Caroline Ryder
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 1:22 pm
With reference to the hanging debate of carcasses. We firmly believe in 21 days hanging for the hind quarters. This improves on both the texture and the flavour. The fore quaters do not need the same length of time, but as most of us are small scale producers we cannot reasonably sell the forequater one week and the hind quarters two weeks later, therefore practicality dictates that we butcher the whole carcass together and sell the meat all at the same time. Our pricing allows for this. As we increase our sales we will be able to sell the fore quarter from one animal alongside the hind quarter of the previous animal. Until then we will take the hit in moisture loss.
Caroline
Caroline