Scotland definitely has you covered with sourcing prime, high-quality meats. How cattle is reared has a huge impact on how it’s beef tastes, so it is important for independent butchers to know the facilities and grounds the cattle have been raised. The grasses and other plants available to beef cattle affect the nutrition and tastiness of the meat, so butchers have to know they are buying from the best.
When butchers are choosing the meat to buy to sell in their shops, they obtain as much information on the animal as possible. For example, how sustainable the farm is when it comes to reducing emissions, how the animals are fed, the steps they are taking to become more sustainable and the overall quality of the livestock. They also ask these questions so that when customers are in their shop buying these meats, they can share this knowledge and make their customer feel comfortable and happy with where the meat has been sourced. After all, the better the meat has been reared, the better quality it will be for the customer and, additionally, it will help maintain the reputation of the butcher as a quality fresh meat retailer.
A lot of Scottish land is not suitable for growing fruit or veg but is perfect for rearing cattle, so farmers make the most of this opportunity by rearing their animals in the best conditions possible. Once the cattle have been raised to the point where they are ready for slaughter, they are transported to a processing facility before getting driven to the local farmers market or butcher shop. They are slaughtered by professionals who ensure to be very precise with their cuts to get the most they can from the animals. Purchasing meat from a local butcher puts you at a great advantage as the butcher often knows the farmer and demands a better product. Butchers will only put their craft with a great farmer to keep their customers coming back for more!
The same process is repeated for butchers who are entering their meat into a competition with the hope of winning an award. Scotland is renowned for producing award-winning meat making it the “prime” place to buy meat. A prime example is an East Lothian butcher who recently picked up two Gold medals at a major competition on a global stage. They were the only Scottish butcher to enter the World Steak Challenge in 2021 and picked up their Gold awards in the Rib Eye and Sirloin categories. The steaks came from grass-fed Aberdeen Angus bred cattle from an established livestock farm in Scotland who are committed to sustainably producing the highest quality Scottish meat.