The Farmers Mart Feb/Mar 2015 - Issue 38 | Page 53

Cold Kirby Farm - Taste Traditions [email protected] 01845 523165 www.thirskmarket.co.uk Furniture & Collectable sales Tuesday fortnightly Entries day before sale 10am – 3pm Sale Box lots & electricles 4pm, collectables 5.30pm, furniture 6pm (2 auctioneers) Breeding & Store sale Every alternative Tuesday Sheep at 12 Noon and Cattle at 1.30pm. Fresh Beef Fresh Lamb Fur & Feather & Collective sales 1st Saturday of the month, Collective entries Friday before sale 8am-4pm.  Fur & Feather entries on day 7am-9am.  Sale starts @ 10am Chicken Primestock Every Thursday, Pigs at 9am, sheep at 9.30am and cattle at 12.30pm South Devons, Lincoln Reds and Herefords. The day-today running of the farm is in the hands of Charles’ cousin Andrew but that doesn’t mean he is not involved. “I buy all the cattle from marts such as Thirsk, Selby, York, Darlington and sometimes Carlisle and we conduct all the finishing on farm to maintain the consistency we are looking for in every beast,” he explained. Sheep-wise Charles prefers a slightly larger lamb and as well as Swaledales, Jacobs and Suffolk X Texel he has his other favourites. ‘I’m a strong believer that happy animals make good tasting meat’ “I will buy Charles Marwood’s Charollais when they are in the market and from my neighbouring farmer, Brian Bentley at Old Byland,” he said. Feeding and looking after livestock is very important to the Taste Tradition ethos. “I’m a strong believer that happy animals make good tasting meat. We treat our livestock a bit like you would a Grand Prix car. An animal can only do as well as what you put into it.” So what is Charles’ favourite beef? “The Dexter produces consistently very good beef and we have a good market for it among chefs wanting prime cuts,” he told me. “People often ask what is the best beef and I always answer that it depends what it is fed on, how it is bred, reared and finished, that is why we finish all of ours the same way. Taste Tradition’s best accolade has been when our Dexter fillet steak on the bone took the title for Best Beef Product at the Meat Management Awards.” Charles started breeding his own cattle at just six years old and was all set for a life on the farm. Taste Tradition has taken him away from day-today farming as he spends most of his time today in the office but he is far from displeased at that. “Looking back when I started this business, I probably didn’t realise that what I wanted was to be in business. I know farming is a business but this has brought me out to see a completely different world. I don’t think I could go back to solely farming now. Interaction with others is inspiring and when we took on Selfridges as a customer in September it was a big moment for me. I have also been very fortunate that mum has an accountancy and bookkeeping background and that my colleague, friend and Prime Quality Meats Direct From the Farm & Full Traceability Fresh Goat DELIVERING TO WHOLESALERS & SHOPS • SPECIALISING IN BONELESS BEEF • Unit 4, New Smithfield, Market Ashton, Old Road, Manchester M11-2WJ See website for details of dates and special sales. Thirsk Farmers Auction Mart, Thirsk Rural Business Centre, Blakey Lane, Thirsk, YO7 3BP KURPAS MEATS PLC and more... Tel: [phone] | www.kurpasmeatsplc.co.uk fellow director, James Wright, is so experienced in butchery. He is a third generation butcher as I am a third generation farmer. My dad (John) has been extremely supportive of all that I have done by allowing me the use of his farm, as well as his giving me the benefit of his knowledge and experience.” Charles is married to Rachael, who is a vet, and they have an eight months old son, William. ‘Interaction with others is inspiring and when we took on Selfridges as a customer in September it was a big moment for me’ www.farmers-mart.co.uk Feb/Mar 2015 53