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Free Range, Ethically Reared Beef The Swedish Way......And Fika!

Posted Wednesday 8th February 2017

Knowing that our shops were in good hands for our very busy Easter weekend (and I thank you for keeping the faith) I took a few days out to help my Skandi wife do some work at her cottage just outside Stockholm (a cottage is an obligatory accessory if you come from these parts). After 2 days I needed to put some distance between me and the pile of unfinished flat pack so I took off into town to visit what is by all accounts enhancing the spirits and wellbeing of the locals.

Saluhallen Slakteriet sits within a rather innocuous industrial unit on the outskirts of Västerås (you’ll know the name as its Ryanair’s “Stockholm Airport”, about an hour’s drive from the actual capital city). It’s a large food market in a rather more permanent set up than we are used to here in UK and which showcases some of the region's finest producers of fresh meat, cheeses, cured products, fresh fish, craft beers and a whole range of other fresh and artisan produce. I’d say is the perfect antidote to a 2 hour flight on that least appealing airline. The atmosphere is one of great service, enthusiasm for outstanding produce and genuine Swedish hospitality. Of course, you can stop for your fika fix too.

At the butchers I bought some of their fine looking steak, served by Marcus, who turned out to be one of the sons of the producer of the beef, from the family farm just a few kms away. I took a good selection of their steak and smoked sausages and the following day visited the farm from which the meat had come.

Susanne and Frederick Essen run Stora Ekeby Säteri and the family has done the same for generations. The neighbouring stables and riding school (the local Royal Palace is a famous equestrian centre) are also run by the family and the whole estate is dedicated to high quality and ethical farming using the best of Swedish tradition. The farm has its own mini farm shop and cafe (more fika of course) although we were welcomed into the beautiful traditional farmhouse by Susanne and Frederick, where we exchanged notes over coffee. As in the UK, farming families are dedicated to the wellbeing of their stock and work all hours to ensure the sustainability of their business and the traditional farming methods that provide us retailers and consumers with the finest alternative to the intensively farmed alternative. After coffee we took a stroll to the farm where the several hundred head of cattle were enjoying the early days of the Swedish spring on stacks of fresh hay. With the winter snow only just thawed the fields are very wet but within weeks these great beasts will take to the enormous meadows for finishing.

Over the recent weeks about 100 of the cows have begun to deliver their calves, each delivery receiving the personal attention of Frederick and his family. This will continue for a few more weeks yet so we respected the few hours rest that the family were able to take at this time of the farming year and we left them to their Easter Sunday before heading back to the airport for our trip home and to prepare our shop for the new season’s intake of rare breed beef including those of Angus and Simmental which make up the main part of Frederick and Susanne’s own beef stock. We hope to see some of the team from Stora Ekeby Säteri here in Hampstead as we’ve promised to show them some of our methods including our sausage making and meat ageing. We’ll let you know when that happens so those of you who come from Sweden can come along for a catch up. We may even lay on some fika for you all!


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