Slow-grown meat: 'Grass fed and free range just means quality'

NOTHING beats the taste of meat from animals that are slow grown, and grass fed or allowed to range free, says Ryan Atkinson, of the Atkinson family, who have farmed in Yorkshire since the 1850s. Now as specialist farmers and R&J butchers, they still don’t like to rush things from their base in Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon.

Ryan works with his father Rob Atkinson, who is involved in the farming side, wife Kate and mother Jo. He loves the notion that "processes of the past silently hold the key to the future of food”. He says: “That is why we are working with small farmers across Yorkshire to produce top quality slow grown food. Grass fed and free range just means quality, this more active life enables more fat and muscle development that creates better texture and flavour.

“We focus on making the most of the carcass and ageing it slowly and in great conditions to improve the flavour and texture. We use traditional and contemporary hanging and curing techniques. Butchery is an ancient craft and we have some amazing master butchers who understand the whole process of producing great food.”

R&J Finest longhorn

Some of the most notable chefs in the UK, including 13 Michelin-star chefs, use R&J Finest products. Beef is sourced from the Atkinsons' Waterford Farm and other small farmers with a focus on both slow grown native breeds such as English Longhorn and Belted Galloways to faster growing natives, Herefords and Black Angus, and continentals.

For Easter R&J Finest is offering a special leg of lamb aged in a Himalayan salt chamber for 30 days. This helps produce incredible flavour and texture. Also, suitable for Easter are free-range Poulard chickens. The Cornish Red chickens are raised for over 90 days by Pollards of Thirkleby. They also farm free range ducks on the banks of Thirkleby Beck, one of the many becks that feeds into the River Swale in the Vale of Mowbray. This year they have been served on tables such as Tommy Banks’ Roots in York, Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, Lisa Allen at Northcote and Swinton Park. These are also a favourite of three-starred Pierre Koffmann.

Woodland pigs, including Saddleback and Gloucester Old Spot breeds are another option, as is hogget from a sheep aged one to two years.

R&J Finest poulard

Recently R&J launched the Wow Cull Yow campaign that aims to get more people farming and eating cull yow/mutton. Cull yow is a Yorkshire term for old ewes (sheep) that no longer produce lambs. “This is not just your average mutton though,” says Ryan. "It gives some of the ewes a nice retirement on our farm. This ‘retirement’ involves taking down the yows from the high hills of Yorkshire to their lowland fields. This process enables them to fatten up again, which develops even more flavour.

R&J Finest ewes

“We use the native breed of Scottish Black Face and Swaledale sheep. Once ready the meat is aged in the Himalayan salt chamber to help intensify the flavour and texture.”

As well as supplying great chefs across the country with Yorkshire’s Finest, during the pandemic R&J moved further into supplying passionate home cooks, offering restaurant quality produce for keen cooks to enjoy at home.

The For the Cooks project works with renowned chefs and artisanal food producers to offer exciting, seasonal and delicious things to cook and enjoy at home. The released two Cull Yow dishes are a collaboration with award winning chef Neil Bentinck of York restaurant Skosh, and with The Holy Smokery based in Kilnsey, near Grassington.

For the Cooks focuses on R&J chef-inspired recipes, rare and native breed cuts and unique products. Recipes are provided with orders and ingredients lists are on the website. Joints and cuts will always be seasonal, grass-fed or free-range, sometimes experimental, sometimes traditional, and all about incredible flavours.

• R&J has a butcher shop in Kirkby Malzeard – you can shop, click and collect or order online.

randjyorkshiresfinest.co.uk