Eat Less Meat. Eat Better Meat.
As butchers, it might sound a little mad for us to be suggesting you eat LESS meat! But at Cobbs, where we believe meat plays a key role in a varied and diverse diet, we want to ensure that what meat you do eat is the best possible quality it can be.
At Cobbs, it comes down to quality. It is that simple. The meat on our counters is all fully traceable and ethically sourced. We are proud to work closely with our fantastic suppliers to ensure that quality and provenance are at the heart of everything we do.
Our mission is to put the best possible products in front of our customers. A superior taste experience from livestock that have led the life they were born to lead. Sourced responsibly from local farms, whose standards match our own in the pursuit of perfection.
Our beef is locally sourced from Berkshire and Hampshire farms.
By working closely with our local abattoirs and via livestock passports, we can pinpoint every farm in our supply chain. One thing we do exceptionally well in this country, is grow good grass.. We believe that cows were born to chew and roam, that’s why we source beef that exist on a grass fed diet only.
Our beef at Cobbs, Stratford.
Our grass fed, organically raised beef, available at our counter in Stratford-upon-Avon is supplied to us by our neighbouring farm (literally next door!) The Apple Farm.
The Apple Farm has bred Red Poll Cattle for 12 years using regenerative farming methods that ensure thriving animals as well as nurturing the environment. The Red Poll is a native breed known for its exceptional meat quality and versatility – it is tender, marbled, and rich in flavour.
We enhance the flavour further by dry-aging the beef for 28 days here at Cobbs. Our beef is not only the tastier option but also the more environmentally friendly and ethically farmed option too
Aged beef is all the same right? NO!
Wet Aged: These days, a lot of the beef you’ll find is aged in plastic shrink-wrap, a process known as wet ageing. There is little improvement in the eating quality of the meat and no loss of weight, which benefits the retailer.
Dry Aged: On the other hand, dry-aged meat is exposed to air in maintained temperature and humidity so that dehydration can further concentrate the meat’s flavour and dramatically improve its eating quality. Throughout this process, weight is lost as the meat “dry’s” but that simply concentrates flavour and is, we feel, a price worth paying.
28-day Dry-Aged
We dry-age our beef for a minimum of 28 days, often more, and are very proud of the quality and flavour we develop over that ageing period. Our butchers will always be able to tell you the age of the joint you buy. See the process yourself in our visually accessible dry-ageing cabinets behind our counters.
If you are planning a special occasion and would like us to age a beef joint for a specific number of days (our record was 62 and it was melt-in-the-mouth delicious!) or to infuse other flavours during that ageing process,- just speak to one of the team who will be happy to help.
Free-range pork from South Downs
We have been working with Paddy at Plantation Pigs for over 15 years now. This family run business has been rearing free-range pigs since 1987 on the South Downs; they were the first UK farm to use a completely free-range system to rear pigs.
Sourcing free-range pork does cost us more, but we believe the cost is justified by the ethical farming and superior eating quality.
The breed of pigs is Hamroc - this is a duroc boar crossed with a Hampshire Sow.
Do you know the difference between outdoor reared & free-range pork?
Outdoor Reared: Most of the pork you will find in supermarkets and many other butchery counters is referred to as outdoor reared. This is the term given to pigs that enjoy as little as a few weeks after birth to roam freely alongside their mothers. They are then moved into a series of ‘fattening’ barns for the rest of their lives.
Free-range: A traditional free-range farming method allows pigs to behave exactly as nature intended. They are allowed to root and wallow outdoors and given time to mature to full growth, without the need for additional additives in their feed.
Free-range chickens from Creedy Carver, Devon.
Our free-range birds are sourced from Creedy Carver, Devon. Having worked with a number of free-range producers over the years, we believe these birds are the best of the best. Creedy Carver has been rearing poultry for generations and has perfected the art of allowing their stock to mature naturally and in a fully free-range environment.
Their free-range poultry has a fantastic meat yield, and you can really taste the difference. A free-range bird might cost that little bit more, but with some planning, you can easily make 2, if not 3 meals, from one bird.
All our lamb is locally sourced from Berkshire and Hampshire farms.
We’re blessed to be surrounded by swathes of grassy downlands throughout the Wessex and South Downs. Our lamb is all free to roam and enjoy these lush pastures. Not only do these pastures benefit from rich grasses, but they are also bursting with delicious flora for the lambs to enjoy.