Beef
Most of our beef comes from Castle Farm and the other farms listed below. At times of high demand we buy the highest grade Scotch beef.
Castle Farm
Castle Farm is owned by William and Caroline Alexander and is situated in the beautiful Darenth Valley, near Sevenoaks, Kent. This family has farmed in the Darenth Valley since the 1800’s.
Castle Farm is part of the Natural Farms Ltd beef production network and has a 200 head herd of native and native cross bred cattle. The farm is well known for its superb animal husbandry and ability to produce the best quality meat every week of the year. They graze 110 acres and additionally grow beans, wheat and barley as well as producing maize and grass silage which is used to produce winter food for the cattle. This farm has been incredibly successful at a variety of specialties and has won a “Rural Business” Award, “Best Farm Shop” and five consecutive Gold Medals for its dried flowers and hops at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Castle Farm also produces the rare Norfolk Royal Apple, honey, pumpkins, hop bines, rosemary, dried flowers and lavender. Apple juice is made from the apples and pure essential oils distilled from the lavender.
Holmes Farm
Holmes farm is farmed by Jason Smith, whose family has farmed in Sussex for six generations. The farm, situated close to the Pevensey Levels consists of 550 acres, of which some is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and extends to the Pevensey Marsh. There are 200 cattle on the farm. Jason prefers native English breeds and most of his cattle are bred from Sussex Cows to give the very best eating quality. Feed for the animals (barley, wheat, hay and silage) and bedding requirements are grown on the farm.
Friday Street Farm near Eastbourne
Lance Geering runs this Organic farm with the help of his two sons. The farm covers 400 acres and has a beef herd of 150 cattle. Lance produces all his own organic wheat, barley, oats and peas for animal feed.
Three Chimneys Farm
Bordering on the Bedgebury Forest in the Weald of Kent, Three Chimneys Farm is owned by a farming family that dates back to 1640. James and Jane Farrant are the current farming generation responsible for the 300 acres. They keep 70 head of cattle. Many of the young cattle are moved to Castle Farm where they are finished for Natural Farms.
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Hanging meat
We always hang our beef to develop flavour and begin the natural tenderising process. Properly hung meat may not look as pretty as freshly slaughtered meat, but there is good reason for that and it's what you should be looking for, not avoiding. After slaughter, the breakdown of oxygen in the blood produces lactic acid and it is this, which tenderises meat, adding flavour in the process. If an animal is stressed at the time of slaughter, then the oxygen in the blood is used by the muscles beforehand and lactic acid is not formed in the same quantities. It takes time for lactic acid to tenderise meat and indeed for gradual water loss to further concentrate the flavour. Commercial restraints on supermarkets mean they simply do not hang their meat for long enough - it is on the shelves as quickly as possible after slaughter. This results in the meat being tough and tasteless in comparison to meat that has been properly hung.
