The Langton Arms, BLANDFORD
During shooting season,
expect to see game such as
pheasant on the menu
The Cossins family
also have a butchery
at Tarrant Rawston
36
A
re supermarkets inherently 'bad' – should we always steer
clear of them when shopping for meat, regardless of how
appealing the produce in the aisles or behind the counters may
look? Barbara Cossins of the award-winning Langton Arms at
Tarrant Monkton doesn't think so.
“Supermarkets have historically had a bad reputation for their
meat, always going for price over quality. In the last couple of
years this has changed and some great suppliers and cuts are
ending up on the shelves,” she explains.
“Always look for British and the Red Tractor, and the closer
that you can get to your home, the better for the animal, the
The Cossins family hand
rear and butcher Aberdeen
Angus and Herefords
local farm and the impact on the environment. The Red Tractor
logo often seen on packaging means that the produce is
not only British but also comes from an assured farm. Every
assured farm is routinely visited and rigorously tested to ensure
that they are achieving high standards of animal welfare,
hygiene and general farm practice.”
But while the big multinational stores may be moving in the
right direction in terms of a more thoughtful approach to the
meat it sells and the journey it takes before finally reaching
customer baskets, Barbara still firmly believes that nothing
beats a trip to the local butcher.
“By nature supermarket shoppers are more cautious than
those who go to independents,” she says. “This means that
some of the more imaginative cuts are passed over or never
make it to the shelves. Food wastage is a big problem (and
very topical) all over the UK right now.
“There is nothing like having a conversation with your own
butcher to ask for help and advice on which cuts to buy, even
more so if you’re trying to feed a family on a budget. A brisket
is a prime example, if cooked for hours then it is tender and
mouth-watering but you have to know how long to cook it for
and at what temperatures.
“For example, stewing steak can make a great beef
bourguignon or beef stroganoff but you need to cook it for
longer than slivers of prime steak. It will also cost a fraction of
the more expensive option. Even a burger from a local butcher
will be meat from one cow. In supermarkets, it could be meat
from many cows, which is less fair to the animal and less
appealing to the human once you know that.
“We have an eight-page butchery brochure that we give to all
our customers (and pub visitors) so that they understand more
about how the animal is used and how to work with more of it.
Did you know a fillet is only 7% of a whole cow? When you do,
you realize why it is such an expensive cut to buy.”
www.menu-dorset.co.uk