So, how has the horsemeat scandal affected farmers and suppliers? It may have done us all a favour in terms of questioning the provenance of our meat, so here are the views of the producers
Sarah Annett, of The Country Barn, near Morpeth, has noticed a lot more attention from shoppers regarding the provenance of the goods they buy. Sarah says: “Widdrington Farm has been in the Annett family since 1515 and gone through many changes over the decades. In 2001 our farm was hit with the devastating blow of foot and mouth disease. The entire herd of store cattle, Limousin Pedigree herd and the flock of 1,500 breeding sheep (all due to lamb within days) had to be destroyed. The farmyard and surrounding fields were ghostly for the next six months. Fields that should have been full of spring lambs lay empty; sheds that should have housed cattle were eerily quiet. It was a very depressing and frustrating time.
“But we had a brainwave to open The Country Barn Farm Shop & Coffee Shop. We had derelict buildings and an ideal location on the coastal route to Druridge Bay, and after a lot of planning red tape we opened in 2006. The first two years were great and it definitely felt like the right move – until recession hit! We felt like the rug had been pulled from under us and times have been tough.
“Now we have the horsemeat scandal and the scaremongering seems to have turned quite a few people vegetarian. We are left to reassure shoppers that all the beef and lamb we have in our shop comes directly from our own farm so we have total control of what our stock are fed and how they are housed and reared.
“We feed them all our own silage and hay, the straw they sleep on is from our own harvest and they are kept warm and dry through the winter months inside sheds. In the summer months the stock are outside enjoying the sunshine and lush grass.
“We have to pay an annual fee to Northumberland County Council so they can audit the whole process of our beef production, which allows us to make the valid claim that all our beef is our own. As a result of this, the public can feel 100% secure in the knowledge that they are buying a 100% beef product, and they are certainly now asking our skilled butchers plenty of questions now.
“This scandal shows that it’s time for the British public to stand together against the supply chain which has allowed this scandal to happen. It’s not hard to ensure you know what you are eating; simply support and trust the British Farmer and buy local!”
veronese horsemeat stew
If you fancy a taste of horse, there are specialist horsemeat suppliers online, or if you prefer, use beef
Ingredients
1kg horse rump
2 sticks celery
2-3 carrots
1 large onion
4 cloves
12 coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
50g lard or porkback fat
¼ cup olive oil
1 bottle full-bodied red wine
salt & pepper
1 tbsp butter, rolled in flour
1 tbsp flour
2-3 tbsp paprika
Method
Lardoon the meat with the lard and slivers of carrots. Dice the other veg and put in a bowl with meat and spices except paprika; pour wine over everything, cover and marinate fridge for three days, turning meat occasionally. Pat meat dry (reserve veg and marinade), flour and brown meat in oil over a brisk flame. Add veg, cook for 5 mins, pour marinade over. Simmer three hours. Set meat aside, return sauce to heat thicken with the butter-flour ball, season with paprika. Pour sauce over meat, serve with polenta.
Buy, George!
George Payne Butcher in Gosforth, Newcastle says it has seen a 10% increase in trade since the horse meat scandal, with beefburger sales up 30%. George says: “More and more customers are coming through the door, including many new faces. We can only put this down to the effects of horse meat scare. Consumers have become more aware that there isn’t transparency in meat, burgers in particular, from the supermarkets and they are realising that our meat is sourced from local farms and we can give an assurance that our burgers are 100% free from horse meat.”
George Payne Butchers is a founder member of the Q-Guild, a membership organisation of more than 100 of the UK’s leading independent butchers. Q-Guild butchers can show the provenance of all the products they sell and pride themselves on knowing every step of the process from field to plate.
“Consumers are heading back to the high street following the scare,” says George. “This has been a real win not only for us, but also traditional independent butchers as a whole.”
Neigh problem
Blagdon Farm Shop near Newcastle has experienced a 20% surge in sales for its butchery products and ready meals since the horsemeat scandal broke.
With its ready meals made in the shop’s own farm kitchen and meat sourced predominantly from its own farm and other trusted local suppliers, customers have been flocking to the shop to buy quality produce with clear and transparent origins.
Manager Joanne Celerier (above) says: “We independently audit and visit our suppliers and only deal with people we trust or have come to us via a very strong recommendation. We ourselves are independently audited by two separate bodies to prove all that we say is true.
“The lengths that we and other independent shops have to go to comply with legislation is quite breathtaking, to the extent that we have to pay an annual levy simply to be able to tell our customers that our beef comes from our own farm.
“We are very happy to do this, but we are shocked by the total disregard for basic legal requirements shown by some food businesses recently.
“The big retailers involved in this need to reduce the number of people in the supply chain, make greater transparency by all involved mandatory and have clearer labelling as well as insisting upon the testing of all processed meat products within businesses found to have had problems.”
