British Rose Veal in our meat counter
15 February 2012
Quality British produced veal is something we’ve been wanting to get behind for a while, so it was our first stop when we began developing our fresh meat counter range this new year. It’s also had a surge in popularity recently after some misconceptions were clearly explained by John Craven on BBC Countryfile. Click on this news item to find out more about the welfare standards, healthy meat and ethics of the British Rose Veal we sell at Brown and Green, Trentham - plus links to some delicious veal recipes too.
So why should we eat British Rose Veal?
The welfare standards of the production of our veal are extremely high, and in no association with the veal crates and production methods of the past.
The calves which prodcue our veal are reared until 8 months of age on thick straw bedding, in loose housed social groups and fed a balanced fibre based food. This lifestyle gives the meat it’s pink colour, hence the name ‘rose veal’, which is used to disassociate it from the white meat from calves which were reared with restricted diet and movement.
We should avoid the waste of this dairy industry ‘bi-product’
It has been estimated that as many as two thirds of all male calves born by dairy cows are disposed of soon after birth, with only a few thousand reared for veal in the UK, and the remainder exported to the veal trade on the continent. Director of Brown and Green, Susie Keenan, grew up on a dairy farm and remembers her father’s dispondency at the terrible waste of healthy amimals due to the lack of a viable market to rear them for. Susie explains “Dairy cows must have a calf to continue milk production, and while female calves are needed for replacements to the milking herd, male calves which are of unsuitable breeding for economic beef production are essentially a waste product not worth rearing. I can only assume that the lack of the British appetite for veal is due to remaining misconcpetions about the ethics of it’s production, but this is no longer the case, and we are trying to inform customers of this and get them to put rose veal on their plates.
Rose veal is healthy and delicious
Rose veal is very tender, with a delicate taste suitable for all the family. It is also naturally very low in fat, and high in Omega 3.
Here at Brown and Green, Trentham we stock various cuts suitable for a range of recipes (please contact us for current availability):
Veal Escalopes (thin steaks)
Try James Martins Garlic & Rosemary Escalopes, or Parmesan Crusted Veal Escalopes
Diced Veal
Try Hungarian Veal Goulash with Dumplings
Veal Roasting Joints
Try Roast Topside of Veal in Onion Sauce
Osso Bucco (veal shin)
Create a magnificent, Italian Sunday lunch
More information on the veal we sell at Brown and Green can be found at www.rose-veal.co.uk
