Feature

Cattle Lane Beef

There is a quietly run family enterprise in Abbotts Ann which has grown over the past 10 years into a familiar local Beef Herd roaming the pastures of the Test Valley. Cattle Lane Beef is headed up by Stephen Wilson assisted by sons William and Robert. The Wilsons, in the last 5 years, have been offering their locally reared, slow grown, Hampshire Downland Grass Fed Beef on a monthly basis to the local community. The feedback to the Beef Boxes is overwhelmingly positive; "Delicious meat and a friendly experience - would highly recommend if looking for local, quality produce”. ‘Modern’ farming and food production has led us to a point where most consumers eat meat that is produced in an un-natural way. Cattle Lane Beef are proudly ‘old fashioned’ in their approach to both animal husbandry and farming. Their happy cattle are seen grazing around Andover and neighbouring villages. Cows with young calves suckling at foot can be seen from May onwards grazing amongst fields full of wildflowers or standing in a chalk stream. Cattle between 1 to 3 years old are found chomping their way around Anton Lakes and up on Harewood. But Abbotts Ann is their true home, and they are grazed here at most times of the year. They forage and munch on the multitude of naturally growing meadow grasses that imbue the meat with its unique depth of flavour.

Cattle Lane Beef’s story is not uncommon in the UK. The quality of beef these farmers produce needs to be sought out; it is grown more slowly than the product on the supermarket shelf, with little or no input other than grass. There are no un-natural carbs or sugars used in the fattening of their cattle, as it is a natural process over time. As a result, there is a higher content of vitamins and minerals in their grass reared beef. As a member of the nationally renowned Red Tractor Scheme, which monitors animal welfare, good livestock husbandry and ensures good practices, their animals are reared to the highest of standard. Meticulous record keeping and health management planning is all monitored on regular farm inspections, before the Red Tractor standards mark can be put above the Farmers door. Two quality Pedigree Bulls graze in the smaller fields and these two bulls serve the growing herd every spring.

‘Charcoal Burner’ the larger Aberdeen Angus was bought in from the top Pedigree AA Breeder of the renowned Gaston Wood Herd in the Bourne Valley, a gentle giant weighing in at well over 1000kg. ‘Horatio’, the traditional Hereford Bull was brought into the Herd as he has a slightly smaller frame and generally spends his time with the younger heifers and cows, before they run with the Dark and ominous looking big softy Charcoal Burner. The Herd grow to maturity slowly. Very little modern farming technology is involved in the way the Wilsons Farm. If you find yourself leaning on a gate talking to nosey cattle, note the last six ear tag digits, as you may be sniffed and licked by a bigger version of the same animal in the following years. Beef is available to order only a few days every month and is sold by the box of approximately 10kg. A typical beef box contains; two or three roasting joints, a variety of steaks in packs of two, some minute steaks, good quality bags of stewing steak and beef mince. There is the option of adding Beef Burgers, these are generally ground from pure brisket joints and are not your average burger! If you care about sourcing your natural, mineral-rich meat from a sustainable and local family business then please pre-order here: bit.ly/Pre-Order-Beef-Box and we can notify you of the next collection date. Or simply phone and ask Stephen whatever it is you wish to know about his beloved herd.

“I am passionate about the meat I eat. It has to come from a reliable source that cares for the animals and it has to taste great. The beef from Cattle Lane is amongst the best I’ve eaten”. Juanita Hennessey - Chef, food writer and MasterChef favourite Cattle Lane Beef, Abbotts Ann, SP11 7DS Phone: 01264 711070 Email: moo@cattlelanebeef.co.uk www.cattlelanebeef.co.uk Locally Reared, Slow Grown, Grass-Fed Beef

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