In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards consuming meat that is locally raised and butchered, and for good reason. Unlike meat sourced from large-scale industrial farms, our locally sourced meat comes from animals that have travelled less and experienced less stress, resulting in happier animals and higher-quality, far tastier, meat!
When you choose locally raised meat, you are supporting our local farmers as well as us your local butchers, rather than contributing to the profits of large multinational corporations. Additionally, by choosing locally raised meat, you are reducing your carbon footprint by minimising the distance the meat has to travel from farm to plate, much of our meat is sourced locally from Fowler Brothers in Burnham-on-Crouch.
In contrast, supermarket meats often come from industrial farms that prioritise quantity over quality, with animals living in cramped and inhumane conditions. The negative impacts of these practices extend beyond the animals and their welfare themselves, as the overuse of antibiotics and hormones can have detrimental effects on the environment and our health when ingesting mass produced meat.
Choosing to buy from a local butcher such as ourselves also provides you with greater traceability and transparency into the sourcing of your meat, allowing you to make informed decisions about the food you consume. With a local butcher such as ourselves, you can feel confident that our meat has been ethically sourced and produced and that the quality of the meat you buy from us is far superior.
Supermarkets often inject their meat with saline solution, water or other additives to increase the weight and make it look plumper and fresher. They may also use gas packaging to preserve the meat's appearance, but this can affect the taste and freshness. In contrast, we as a traditional butchers do not add any of these additives and we focus on offering high-quality, fresh meat without any artificial enhancements (what would you rather eat and feed your family!?)
Some may say that it is more expensive to shop at your local butchers, this may be true but you are paying for the superior quality, also consider that one of our chicken breasts will likely serve more than your typical supermarket breast because they do not shrink on cooking. Being able to buy specific weights rather than pre-packaged meats can also be beneficial in terms of budgeting as you can minimise food waste. We believe a little high quality is better than more low quality - you can bulk out stews and curries with veggies and lentils.
By supporting your local meat production industry, your are not only investing in the quality of your food and nutrition, but also in the future of our communities. Choose to support local businesses and enjoy the benefits of locally raised and butchered meat.
