Dairy farm launches veal meat business (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Dairy farm launches veal meat business

12:27pm Friday 22nd January 2010

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A FARM which produces award-winning ice cream is now receiving accolades for its home-produced rose veal.

John and Susan Archer have a 300-cow Jersey dairy herd at New Moor Farm, Walworth Gate, near Darlington.

They have run Archers Jersey Ice-cream since May 2004, using milk from their pedigree herd, and have picked up a number of awards.

Last year saw it crowned the Taste of the North-East of England in the 2009 North-East England Tourism Awards.

The couple are now waiting to hear if they have got through to the national finals.

They have now launched Newmoor Veal, a separate business which uses the herd’s male calves.

Dairy bull calves generally have no market. They are often considered unsuitable for beef production and, consequently, many are shot at birth.

The Archer’s Jersey herd produces around 150 calves a year.

“To produce milk a cow has to calve and at the moment we are still getting about 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female calves,” said Mr Archer.

“The Jersey is a very specialist dairy breed, not one you can fatten for beef production, so we decided to try producing veal.”

Veal production has courted controversy over the years, but today the UK operates the highest welfare standards.

It outlawed veal crate production more than ten years ago and Newmoor Veal is raised to higher standards than those required by the EU.

The farm is an RSPCA Freedom Foods Farm and the male calves enjoy the same high welfare standards as the rest of the herd.

The veal calves are reared in groups in open housing with natural light and straw bedding in winter. They live outdoors in summer and are suckled by their mothers.

They are reared to about seven months when they are taken to Thompsons abattoir in Witton-le-Wear and then to butcher Paul Craddock who has the Dropswell Farm Shop in Trimdon.

A lean, pink, versatile meat, Newmoor Veal produces sausages, escalopes, steaks, topside and silverside, burgers, mince and loin.

There is still some stigma attached to veal production and the Archers hold veal awareness events to explain today’s high animal welfare standards of production.

Compassion in World Farming, which fought a long campaign to end veal crate production, encourages people to only buy UK-produced veal because of its high standards.

The Archers also find people’s views change when they realise veal calves are the same age as the spring lamb they eat and older than pigs for bacon.

Newmoor Veal is available from a number of farm shops and butchers, including Fodder and Weetons in Harrogate and Aldersons butchers in Cockerton, Darlington.

It also appears on the menu in a number of restaurants including the Riverside at the Swan Restaurant, Barnard Castle, the Bridgewater Arms, Winston, and the County Inn, Aycliffe Village.

For more information, call 07841-522750 or visit newmoorveal.com.

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