PGI Welsh Beef & Lamb
We’re extremely proud to be registered with Meat Promotion Wales, the guardians for the authentic PGI mark of quality.
Welsh Beef & Lamb is the product of a uniquely beautiful landscape that has been blessed for centuries with the purest of natural ingredients – clean air, sweet spring water, fresh grass and fragrant heather. This blend of nature’s finest, coupled with traditional farming practices that span generations, have helped produce high quality meat to be consumed around the world.
In recognition of these unique qualities the European Commission (EC) has awarded Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef the coveted status of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This puts Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef in the same elevated company as Parma Ham and other speciality and protected food name products from around the world. Now that’s something worth shouting about.
The EC’s protected food name scheme aims to preserve and promote those special foods that are unique to their terrain – foods that have character, that are lovingly-crafted, that have an unbreakable connection to the land they come from. Foods like Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef.
So when you see this prestigious badge of authenticity you can be confident that the lambs and cattle were born and reared in Wales; allowed to roam freely across our wholesome, natural habitat; and cared for by farmers with centuries of traditional farming practices under their belts.
You can rest assured that our meat is prepared in approved abattoirs and that every single animal is fully traceable. We never compromise on food safety, quality or tractability and inspections are carried out at every stage of the process.
We strive to ensure quality in our Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef; and PGI is what sets us apart from the rest.
You can read much more about Welsh Lamb & Beef, and find some great recipe ideas from our friends at Meat Promotion Wales: http://eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com/en
DRY AGED, GRASS FED BEEF
Supermarkets and large scale producers are keen to promote their “extra matured” or “21 day aged” beef. This however is noticeably different in quality and flavour from beef that is matured by the traditional methods used at Farm & Fork.
Supermarkets will often use a lesser quality wet aging process, which means the meat is vacuum sealed and left to mature in its own juices for up to 3 weeks whilst it is waiting to be distributed to retail outlets. During this time it’s extremely difficult for the meat to mature properly and improve in tenderness and flavour.
Here at Farm & Fork we believe that dry aging is the only way to mature quality beef. The dry aging process requires the beef to hang on the bone in a temperature controlled room for between 3 and 4 weeks before being carefully butchered into selected cuts. This process allows any excess moisture to evaporate from the meat and for muscle tissues to soften. This results in tender, flavoursome cuts of meat that won’t shrink during cooking.
To complement the ary aging process, our cattle are free to roam the Welsh hillside and have a grass and forage based diet. Studies have shown that meat from grass-fed animals can be lower in saturated fats and higher in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals when compared to meat from grain fed animals.
All of this provides the perfect combination for quality, flavoursome beef that is distinctly different from the wet aged process used by large scale producers.
You can view our quality range of Dry Aged, Grass Fed beef here: https://www.farmandfork.co.uk/shop/1_Dry_Aged_Beef
