New arrivals in demand

Mar 19 2008 By The Journal

A Northumberland farmer is preparing for some very special arrivals this summer and, as he tells Karen Dent, he is already dealing with the clamour for cattle that haven’t even been born.

IT’S nice to sit on a farm and people want your products before they’re even conceived,” says Steve Ramshaw, who has been delighted by the demand for the Kobe beef these extra special calves will produce. The prized – and very expensive – meat is noted for its extreme tenderness, delicate texture, deep flavouring and marbling. It comes from rare Wagyu cattle, which are Japanese in origin but due to the limited numbers of the breed, the Japanese government has banned their export. Instead, Steve sourced embryos from Canada and imported them to Monkridge farm near Otterburn in Northumberland, where they were implanted into surrogate mothers.

Steve, whose organic meat marketing business Northumbrian Quality Meats is based at the farm, said: “The cows are carrying the embryos. It’ll probably be the start of the summer before the calves are born. Kobe beef is so expensive to produce and it commands a huge price. This about bringing quality to the North of England. It’s about producing a product that’s special.”

Steve’s business also sells organic beef, lamb, pork, poultry and game online, through his butcher shop in Fenwick’s food hall in Newcastle and in assorted farm shops. The 750-acre farm, mainly on high hill land, supports traditional breeds such as the Scottish Blackface sheep and Aberdeen Angus and Galloway cattle. They eat a natural diet of organic grasses, heathers, mosses and herbs growing on land which is managed much the same as it would have been centuries ago.

The animals are allowed time to grow, unlike much of the beef produced in the UK. The Wagyu stock, when born, will also be allowed to develop naturally.

However, the difference between the Kobe beef they produce and the average piece of beef from European cattle is due to the way they are bred. In Canada and the US, where Wagyu cattle are crossed with Aberdeen Angus, the bulls are DNA tested to ensure they carry the gene for tenderness. British farmers, however, are encouraged to breed fast-growing, large-framed, lean animals to satisfy the needs of the meat industry.

“It’s like comparing fois gras with pate – it’s a different texture,” said Steve. “It’ll reinforce our reputation as a company that offers the best.”

Northumbrian Quality Meats’ Kobe beef will not be ready for consumption for well over a year but already top restaurants both in the region and further afield are champing at the bit to get their hands on the speciality meat. The price has not put them off either – in Canada, it sells for approximately £29 a kilo.

“It’s an interesting product to foodies – people who enjoy eating out and will pay a premium for a product,” said Steve. “A growing number of people throughout the country and the North East have experienced the quality of food throughout the world.

“I think there is a willingness to pay a premium on a product. It’s all about eating quality. The biggest problem will be supplying the demand.”

There are very few examples of the breed elsewhere in the world although some can be found in North America and Australia. If successful, Steve’s aim to establish a herd in Northumberland will put the North East on the food map. Similar breeding programmes are currently taking place in Wales and Yorkshire. “I think between us, we’ll be able to meet the demand,” said Steve.

Steve Ramshaw, of Northumbrian Quality Meats. Steve Ramshaw, beef and sheep farmer, of Northumbrian Quality Meats at Monkridge Hill Farm in the Otterburn hills, Northumberland, where his herd enjoys a natural diet.