Wait ... Your Beef is Seasonal??

We’ve had a few enquiries about our beef recently - I’m writing this at the end of March 2022. I explain that we don’t have any available right now because our beef is 100% grass-fed and finished which means it is seasonal.

I get a few surprised looks when I say this, which is completely understandable - nowadays, we are used to seeing meat on supermarket shelves all year round!

The thing to remember is that that that beef will have been fattened (aka finished) with the help of grain. One of the benefits of using feed is the extension of the finishing season. At Balsar Glen we have chosen not to go down that route for a number of reasons, and this results in some constraints. 

The absolutely best beef comes from animals that have been gaining well for at least a couple of months before slaughter. The importance of this fattening phase can not be over emphasised. 

Fat is crucial.

Fat adds to the flavour.

In fact, fat IS the flavour.  That delicious beefy taste? That’s fat.

And that flavour is why well-finished beef doesn’t need sauces or seasoning. 

Plus, as a healthy bonus, fat from grass-fattened cattle its full of omega-3 and beta-carotene (a pre-curser to vitamin A). More HERE on why grass-finished beef is good for you.

As you can tell, we love our grass-fed fat and think it adds a special flavour all of its own.

To finish on pasture only, cows need the very best grass - and forbs/weeds/herbs - and lots of it for those crucial few months.

More HERE on how this diversity benefits the meat.

The best quality and quantity of forage is only available in spring and summer*.

There is more to consider than just the timing of spring, there is the growth of the cow over its life, its temperament, its handling, its genetics … to name but a few.

It’s a complex process and we love learning everything we can about it, as this will help us produce the best tasting, most nutritious, most nature-friendly beef that our farm can sustainably produce.

In 2023 our order books will open in June to newsletter subscribers only. The first lot of beef will be available in August.

Add yourself to our subscriber list HERE.

*There are a few ways round this and next year we hope to have a couple of older, so already fat, cows that we can butcher earlier in the year.