Celebrating naturally delicious British beef across Northamptonshire

Great British Beef Week will run until 30 April celebrating county livestock farmers and the exceptional taste of naturally delicious British produce.

Headed by Ladies in Beef and AHDB, Great British Beef Week is in its 14th year and started on St George’s Day.

Farmer Sarah Bell, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire NFU Council delegate, welcomed the opportunity to put the spotlight firmly on county beef and the work that goes in by those on family farms.

She said: “We take great care of our cattle rearing them to the highest welfare standards, whilst looking after the environment and making space for nature on our farm.

“We care deeply about making sure that the beef our customers buy is tasty, tender and the perfect centrepiece of their meal.”

George Bostock, Midlands NFU network manager and current livestock lead, said the week aimed to promote great British beef and the high standards to which it was produced.

“The key message of the campaign this year centres around Britain’s maritime climate, which delivers frequent rainfall, producing an abundance of green grass and in turn, naturally delicious beef,” he said.

“We are urging families to join in and celebrate this versatile meat, which is often the centre piece of Sunday lunch, barbecues or special occasions.

“Farmers can also get involved on social media by using the hashtags #GBBW24 and #GreatBritishBeefWeek24 on your social media posts, saying why you’re proud to produce British beef.”

The week will see lots of industry stakeholders supporting the event, from farmers, butchers and processors to restaurants and supermarkets, with in-store promotions highlighting the benefits of great British beef to county shoppers.

NFU regional livestock chair Oli Lee, who is also national livestock deputy chair, said it was a great opportunity to celebrate British beef, the efforts of farmers and the work with retailers and chefs to promote it.

He said: “Beef farmers across all of the Midlands’ counties, including Northamptonshire, take great pride in what they do and they run high welfare systems.

“People can be assured that when they buy British beef they are buying food reared to rigorous standards on some of the most environmentally sustainable farms in the world.

“You can’t beat grass-fed beef from our family farms.”

To promote the week, AHDB, which is a levy board that supports the livestock, dairy, cereals and oilseeds sectors, hosted an on-farm event, which brought together an array of chefs, butchers, farmers and marketing analysts to demonstrate the quality and versatility of British beef to those working in the food service industry.

The event at NFU member Anna Blumfield’s farm included a farm walk, butchery demonstration and two cooking demonstrations, as well as a live panel session.

Ladies in Beef, which first began the campaign, is a voluntary organisation of female beef farmers founded by Devon beef producer Jilly Greed and former NFU President Minette Batters.

• Great British Beef Week is an annual event celebrating the high-quality beef that Britain’s farmers produce - https://www.ladiesinbeef.org.uk/gbbw/