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Knepp Castle Wild-Range Longhorn Beef

29th June 2016 By sf_dev

The 3,500 acre organically farmed Knepp Castle Estate in Sussex exemplifies everything we believe in at Garlic Wood and we are thrilled to be able to offer beef and venison from Knepp through our online shop.

The production of meat on the Estate is inextricably tied up with the aims and goals of the Burrell family to ‘rewild’ the landscape. Beef and venison from Knepp is 100% pasture-fed, sustainable and produced in harmony with their vision of increasing biodiversity and bringing nature back to the farmed landscape.

It also tastes exceptional!

Background

The heavy clay soil at Knepp is not conducive to modern intensive farming. For seventeen years after taking over the Estate from his grandparents in 1983, Charlie Burrell did his utmost to make Knepp Home Farm profitable but it was impossible to compete with larger, industrialised farms on better soils.

A moment of epiphany came in 2002 when Knepp received Countryside Stewardship funding to restore the Repton park in the middle of the Estate. The park restoration provided a chance to look at the land in an entirely different way and suggested the possibility of rolling out nature conservation across the whole Estate.

The kind of conservation Charlie had in mind was a ‘process-led’, non-goal-orientated project where, as far as possible, nature takes the driving seat – an approach that has come to be known as ‘rewilding’.

In December 2002, Charlie launched his vision for rewilding Knepp by sending a Letter of Intent to Natural England, the government’s advisory body for the environment, setting out his plans to establish ‘A Biodiverse Wilderness Area in the Low Weald of Sussex’.

It took years for the idea to be wholeheartedly supported by government but in 2010 the Knepp Wildland project received Higher Level Stewardship funding. It is now a leading light in the conservation movement, an experiment that has produced astonishing wildlife successes in a relatively short space of time and offers solutions for some of our most pressing problems – like soil restoration, flood mitigation, water and air purification, pollinating insects and carbon sequestration. Visited by numerous conservation organisations, including the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust, as well as policy makers, farmers and landowners, Knepp is shaping the future of nature conservation.

As Professor Sir John Lawton, author of the 2010 Making Space for Nature report says:

“Knepp Estate is one of the most exciting wildlife conservation projects in the UK, and indeed in Europe. If we can bring back nature at this scale and pace just 16 miles from Gatwick airport we can do it anywhere. I’ve seen it. It’s truly wonderful, and it fills me with hope.”

GOOD FOR THE ANIMALS

Because they’re eating what nature intended them to eat, the animals at Knepp are happy and healthy. They have free range of 3,500 acres of re-wilded land, giving them a smorgasbord of organic herb-rich pasture, as well as bark and leaves to browse on – just as their ancestors would have done.

They have excellent immune systems, unlike animals reared in intensive systems. And they don’t have permanent indigestion because their stomachs are being asked to cope with food they were never designed to eat.

The longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs, red and fallow deer run in natural herds of all ages and have free rein to wallow, play, crash through the scrub and generally behave as they would in the wild.

GOOD FOR THE PLANET

Permanent pasture is one of the most effective systems of carbon sequestration we have on the planet – greater even than rainforest.

A low density of free-roaming herbivores like the system at Knepp has a dynamic effect on the landscape. Their behaviour and different grazing techniques create a mosaic of habitats, from groves and thorny thickets to open grassland, reed-beds and water meadows, providing fantastic opportunities for wildlife. Since beginning this extensive grazing system at Knepp in 2001 numerous rare species of birds, bats and butterflies have begun to breed. By eating meat from the Knepp Wildland scheme you are contributing to nature conservation.

Because no inputs are used – no fertilisers or other chemicals, no high energy feeding systems, farm machinery or routine medication – the method of meat production at knepp is sustainable, low cost and very low carbon.

GOOD FOR US

The longhorn cattle at Knepp are fed an entirely natural pasture diet. Studies in the US and in the UK have found conclusive evidence that meat, fat and dairy products from animals that are fed the old way, on permanent pasture, are positively good for us because it is:

  • Low in the saturated fats associated with heart attacks and strokes
  • High in total omega-3 fatty acids, which feed the brain, and protect against heart and neurological diseases
  • Presents omega-3 fatty acids in a balanced ratio with omega-6 fatty acids (unlike vegetable oils)
  • High in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which fights cancer and diabetes, benefits the immune and inflammatory system, and reduces body fat and risk of heart attack
  • High in beta carotene, vitamin E and the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin
  • High in calcium, magnesium and potassium

The implications of these findings are enormous. We should not be cutting out animal fats from our diet, as almost all recent medical advice insists. We should simply be taking care that we’re eating a greater balance of pasture-fed meats.

UNRIVALLED TASTE

Because they are free to browse and are ‘slow-grown’ – ie not fattened unnaturally fast on grain and protein – the meat from these animals is denser and richer, with that characteristic ‘marbling’ of fat which gives fantastic texture and taste.

Old English longhorns produce exceptional beef. In his ‘Perfection’ series of programmes for TV in 2013 chef Heston Blumenthal chose longhorn above all other traditional beef breeds as the best tasting steak in the world.

By working with the natural cycles of these wild-ranging animals lives and allowing the cattle a full spring and summer of pasture we are able to treat the Knepp beef as an exceptional seasonal product. As with all our beef we mature the longhorn on the bone in the traditional way – for 35 days – for extra tenderness and flavour.

Visit our online shop to buy Knepp beef.

Filed Under: Butchery tips, Recipes, Uncategorised

Butchery tip – jointing a chicken

29th June 2016 By sf_dev

A proper free-range chicken makes a stunning meal, but these days it can seem like an expensive option. We’ve become so used to the idea that a chicken is little more than cheap protein – something to be eaten without consideration. Whether its ubiquitous sandwich fillings eaten on the go during the day, or as the ‘bulk’ in a hastily cooked midweek meal. Chicken has become something we eat without any sense of its value. We expect it to be cheap because we don’t expect much from it.

We think a really good free-range chicken can be a good value option for a family meal. Especially if you take the time to learn a few new skills that will allow you to make the most of the chicken and maximise the meals you can get from it. The best way to do this is to spend a few minutes learning to joint your chicken, so we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to show you exactly how this is done. 

The ‘Rules’

There is only 1 rule to follow here, and we say this to everyone who attends one of our butchery courses. That rule is that it doesn’t matter what the end result looks like. Its all about having a go, enjoying the process of learning to reconnect with the food we eat and not being afraid to make mistakes. It’ll all cook exactly the same at the end of the day.

Step 1 – removing the legs

Take your whole chicken and remove any string or tying bands that have been supplied with it. Turn it so that the legs are facing you. Pull the legs slightly to open up the gap between the inside of the thigh and the breast. 

Take a small sharp boning knife and run it down the inside of the thigh to cut the skin between leg and breast. Do this on both sides and then push each leg down towards the table or block until the joint at the base of the leg cracks. Now run then knife along the inside of the leg between this joint and the carcass of the chicken until the leg is separated.

Step 2 – splitting the thigh and drumstick.

Turn the leg over so that is lying skin side down. On the inside of the thigh you will see a small white line separating the thigh from the drumstick. If you push a knife downwards on this line in one clean motion you will cut between the joint and be left with a cleanly separated thigh and drumstick. If you happen to miss the joint don’t worry, just lean on the knife with a bit more weight and you’ll get through with a bit of brute force. Pretend you meant to do that and move on to the next step – like I said it doesn’t matter..

Step 3 – splitting the chicken.

Turn the chicken breast side up on a chopping block. Take a sharp carving knife and insert it through the carcass until the point emerges from the neck end. Place the knife to one side of the spine bone and push down hard until the knife goes through. Do the same to the other side of the spine and this section will come away (giving you some bones for stock)..

Step 4 – jointing the breast section.

Turn the chicken over so that its breast-side down. Take the carving knife and place it on the line of bone running between the two breasts. Push down firmly with the knife and this will split the bone, leaving you with 2 chicken breasts, on the bone. 

To further break down the breast section place a chicken breast on the chopping bone-side down. Place the knife at an angle across the breast so that heel of the knife is close to the joint where the wing and breast join. Push the knife down and the breast will now be cut into 2 sections. 

Congratulations! You have now taken one free-range chicken and turned it into 8 good sized pieces (2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 4 chicken breast pieces) to use in different dishes.

If you’re feeling flushed with confidence why not try taking the breasts off the bone next time? To do this go back to to step 3 and do things slightly differently:

Step 3 – removing the breasts.

Don’t separate the carcass into two halves.  Instead sit the chicken carcass on the cutting board with the neck end facing towards you. using the tip of a very sharp knife start at the top of the carcass in the centre and cut along the central breast bone all the way down towards you. As the knife reaches the wish bone in the neck angle it slightly away from the central breast bone. Go back to the top and keep running the knife along the rib cage slowly separating the breast from the carcass. as you reach the final stages your knife will meat the joint between the wing and the breast. Run the knife inside this joint so the wing remains on the breast. The breast should now come away. remove the wing if required (or leave on as chicken supreme). repeat on the other side. You now have 2 boneless chicken breasts and a complete chicken carcass for soup or stock.

Hopefully that free-range chicken suddenly looks more like a good value and versatile week’s worth of meals!

Paul.

Return to Whole Roasting Chicken in online shop

Filed Under: Butchery tips, Uncategorised

Meet Roly

27th July 2018 By sf_dev

Camilla and Roly Puzey bought their family and their flock of sheep from Oxfordshire to the stunning setting of Saddlescombe Farm in the South Downs in 2013.

The farm is set in a valley of the South Downs at Devils Dyke. It’s just 5 miles from the centre of Brighton but the landscape feels like it has barely changed in the near 1000 years of continual farming that have taken place here. The site is a unique example of a Downland farm and is home to a hugely diverse flora and fauna – all of which requires sensitive stewardship by Roly and Camilla as they run their 450acre sheep and beef farm.

Roly is keenly aware of his role as custodian of this unique landscape and his responsibilities to farm in harmony with nature. The chalk grasslands of the South Downs are some of the most diverse and delicate ecosystems on the planet. In recent decades chalk grassland has increasingly been ploughed for agriculture, so that today only 4% of the South Downs National Park is made up this habitat. Saddlescombe farm contains sizeable areas of this unique and rare ecological resource so farming must be done sensitively and in balance in order to maintain this diversity. For example the sheep and cattle graze areas of the farm in rotation and avoid certain key areas of landscape altogether in order not to overwhelm the natural wildflower mix. If grazed too heavily the landscape could degrade and decline until it becomes a monoculture of grasses – without the wildflower mix it currently supports, and with the resultant loss of key chalk grassland species like the Adonis and Chalkhill Blue Butterflies.

All this access to the flower-rich grazing of the South Downs helps to give Roly and Camilla’s lamb its sweet and delicate flavor. The sheep are totally free-range and 100% pasture-fed (with the exception of some limited supplementary feeding of ewes expecting multiple births just prior to lambing). Roly also has a herd of the county’s historically native Sussex cattle breed which are slow-maturing, 100% pasture fed, and produce a near perfect beef carcass as a result.

As well as farming the landscape Camilla and Roly are passionate about engaging with the community and helping to bridge the gap between those who produce our food and those who buy and consume it. They are proud of what they do, open, friendly and always willing to invite people to see how they farm. Every year their lambing open days offer thousands of visitors an incredible chance to see the farm, experience the work, and to see the team at work delivering and caring for newborn lambs. They also offer shepherding days and are active in doing everything they can to educate and inform the public about the work that goes on in running a commercial sheep farm. Roly’s pride in his produce and his commitment to putting himself front and centre in promoting it goes as far as personally delivering the lamb to us at the butchery each week.

Saddlescombe Farm is our main source of lamb throughout the year, and a fair bit of our beef, because of the unrivalled quality of the produce and because Roly and Camilla represent everything we believe ethical meat production should be.

Filed Under: ethical, Events, Meet the famer, Sustainbable farming, Uncategorised

Sussex Street Food & Butchery Finalists 2018!

2nd January 2017 By sf_dev

A hectic 2017 ended with some great news for us when we made it through to the final three in the Street Food category and the Butchery at the 2018 Sussex Food & Drink Awards. In a fantastic day at Horsham local produce market we went head-to-head with some of the finest street food traders from across Sussex and played our part in producing a feast of great food for the panel of expert judges and local shoppers. Our dish for the finals was our own-cured salt beef paired with nettle bubble & squeak, caper & seaweed creme-fraiche and a chestnut and alexander butter. We drew our inspiration for the dish from the incredible range of ingredients available to us in Sussex. At the heart of the dish was our own spice-infused salt beef from the wild-range Longhorn beef farmed on the Knepp Castle estate, and we wanted to compliment this with a range of simple, locally foraged, but creatively paired ingredients. We thought we’d come up with a winning dish and we were thrilled that the judges agreed and put us through to the final 3.

Toby and his events team work incredibly hard across the year catering everything from weddings, to parties, local fetes, food and music festivals. At every event we attend we’re amazed at the diversity and quality of the street food on offer (don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of rubbish out there, but the tide has definitely turned..) and it’s really gratifying to see our efforts being recognised as part of this growing food movement.

It was doubly gratifying when we discovered we’d made it to the final three of the Sussex Butcher of the Year category in the same awards as well! As with the Street Food category the judges recognised our commitment to working with the best local producers and in dedicating ourselves to combining quality with sustainability and ethical practice.

When the awards dinner came round in February 2018 we were delighted to be crowned winner in the Street Food category! Unfortunately we missed out on the Butcher of the Year prize…. but we’ll be back.

We love what we do and we always strive to do it to the best of our ability. It’s nice when that commitment pays off.

Paul & the team.

 

 

Filed Under: Events, Recipes, Uncategorised

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Garlic Wood Butchery
Pound Farm
Pound Lane
Shipley
West Sussex
RH13 8QB
Phone 01403 741616 / 07903455367
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