Organic Beef

There are two main production methods for beef, both of which can be organic or conventional.

The first, accounting for most supermarket beef, is when a dairy cow (Friesian or Holstein) is crossed with a fast growing continental beef bull (e.g. Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, Belgian Blue). The calf is weaned immediately and the mother returned to the milking herd. The calf will be reared on milk powder, barley and concentrated food until slaughter (at from 12- 22 months), often being sold on, through cattle markets, to large scale specialist producers. There is every possibility that the bullock will never see a blade of grass. The resulting beef is usually exceptionally lean, low in flavour and tender enough not to need hanging for more than a few days. This might sound good but the flavour from the best beef comes from a maturing through hanging and a little fat which can be trimmed off before or after cooking.

The second type of beef comes from traditional British breeds, developed specifically for beef like Aberdeen Angus, South Devons, Devon Reds, Herefords etc. Virtually all Riverford organic beef comes from Churchtown Farm in Cornwall (see our suppliers index) which keeps a herd of South Devons with a few Aberdeen Anguses and Devon Reds. Calves are weaned at about 10-11 months and are slaughtered at between 24 and 30 months. The system is about as natural as can be with the vast majority of feed coming from organic grass, hay and silage plus a small amount of home grown organic oats and barley. Because suckler herds are effectively closed, except for changing bulls, there were very few cases of BSE in these traditional herds and virtually none in organic ones.

All Riverford organic beef is hung for at least two weeks with prime cuts like rump and loin hanging for longer.

The traditional pastures which the organic cattle graze receive no fertilizers and are full of herbs and clover. They provide a rich habitat for wildlife including invertebrates, small mammals and birds such as skylarks, buzzards and barn owls. It has been shown that organic farms support more wildlife and biodiversity than other farms.

Both systems are heavily dependent on EC subsidies but in the case of traditional, suckler herds there are definite environmental benefits. It is hard to see much benefit to the countryside coming from large scale, monoculture, cereal production. This is a very black and white picture and there are obviously grey areas in the middle but hopefully it gives a good idea of why we like selling traditionally reared, organic beef from Churchtown Farm.

Organic Fish

Many of you have questioned why we don’t stock organic salmon. Well we do now. Despite having similar stocking rates organic salmon are fed on fish meal which is a bi-product of the fish processing industry rather than sand eels etc sucked up from the sea bottom. Nor are they fed on orange colourings (carotene) so they have a colour remarkably similar to wild Sea Trout.

I question whether any animal whose life cycle is so dramatically altered as that of a farmed salmon should be certified as organic, especially when the Soil Association is so adamant that pigs and chickens should be free range. Apparently, farmed salmon are so far removed from their wild cousins that they no longer display many of their inherent roaming characteristics.
Stocking rates for organic salmon are about half that of most conventional systems. Did you know that fish farming in cages has been banned in Alaska for over ten years? It is a sad condemnation of European fish farming when similar techniques have been banned in the States on environmental grounds. In Alaska they have a highly developed ‘fish ranching’ industry (releasing newly hatched fish and, hopefully, catching them again a few years later). Why can't we do something similar here?

We will continue to stock salmon from the Sustainable Salmon Company (http://www.lochduart.com) which turn out an excellent product, described by Rick Stein as being 'the closest thing to a wild salmon' you are likely to find. I have taken the liberty of copying their 'best practice' philosophy from their website:

"The unique difference in our production methodology is that one sea loch is fallow each year for a complete year. As in traditional rotation in land farming, one full year allows natural cleansing and regeneration. This year-long fallowing policy, believed to be unique, is just part of a total husbandry approach which maximizes the health and welfare of the fish and minimizes environmental impact. Other key aspects of the Loch Duart 'Best Practice' approach are: Significantly lower stocking densities than current industry standards and specifications. This gives the fish the space to grow naturally. A feeding regime which mimics the irregular feeding of fish in the natural environment. This allows periods of rest and reduces feed waste. No growth promoters or antibiotics. No anti-foulants are used. The nets are regularly wind dried to remove marine growth. All feed comes from sustainable non-GM sources which are constantly and carefully monitored. All stock is traceable to eggs and forebears. The overall objective is to create as natural a life-cycle as possible and here the skill and experience of our people makes a major difference. Good husbandry requires attitude and dedication as well as sound techniques. Safety and conservation are also important at Loch Duart. High mooring specifications and nets which are replaced every two cycles minimize escapes and deter predators. We work closely with local estates and angling associations under an Area Management Agreement and catches of wild fish appear to be on the increase in some local rivers. Loch Duart signed the first Area Management Agreement to be completed in Scotland which has now been followed by six others. In short, we are doing everything that can be done for the welfare of the fish and to preserve the environment. This has consequences - our production level of 1800 tonnes p.a. is roughly half the full capacity of the Loch Duart sites possible under more intensive regimes. We believe low-volume high-quality production is the way of the future for the salmon industry - especially as consumer knowledge about food quality and animal welfare increases."

While on the subject of organic fish we have found an excellent supplier of organic fresh and smoked trout and trout terrine. Purely Organic from Wiltshire. These fish feed themselves, virtually entirely, on naturally occurring fresh water shrimp rather than the more common, un-natural, genetically modified soya pellets.

Most, non-organic, farmed trout are either triploids (fast growing triple chromosome fish) or single sex (produced by feeding the mother fish excessive testosterone). Although this is not, strictly speaking, genetic modification it is still fairly distasteful and hardly natural. Mere Fish Farm, whose trout paté many of you seem to prefer, do, sometimes, use triploid trout.

Paul, Riverford's chef, makes a wonderful paté, using Purely Organics smoked trout. It is usually available in the shop. Alternatively, get the recipe from the recipe section and make it yourself.

Organic Lamb

We source our organic lamb from a number of farms in Devon and East Cornwall. New Season lambs (April & May) are from Frost Farm, Bovey Tracey, and summer lambs are from George Welsh down the road in Dartington. He should be able to keep us going until September when Mark Russell's May born lambs should be ready. With luck these should keep us going through most of the winter.

Organic lamb is produced in the most natural and welfare friendly environment possible. At Mark Russell's Churchtown Farm lambs are born in May. The earlier lambs are born inside to provide them with warmth and shelter for a couple of days until they are strong enough to go out into the fields with their mothers. In May, ewes give birth outside in the fields with the minimum of disturbance which helps to create a strong maternal bond.

Organic farmers keep many fewer sheep on an area of land than conventional farmers. In this way they help to minimize the build-up of worms and other parasites which target sheep and so can avoid having to use wormers, antibiotics and other drugs on their flock. Grazing sheep alongside other animals such as cows is also helpful in parasite control. The quality of grass is all important in producing tasty, succulent lamb. Unfertilized, organic pastures with herbs and clover provide the best possible food for the growing lambs, along with their mother's milk, and they do not need any supplementary feeding through the long summer months as they graze the Cornish cliffs. In the colder seasons they may be fed on leafy crops such as turnips and a little home grown oats and barley.

The French swear by lamb reared on the salt marshes of Normandy and Brittany. They have even made it an 'appelation controlee'. Churchtown Farm is not on a salt marsh but the lambs are reared on cliff top fields overlooking the sea. I don't know what it is but for the last three years the best tasting lamb at the Soil Association awards has been from similar sources. Churchtown Farm won best lamb and best beef three years ago. There must be something in the air.

Riverford Bacon & Gammon

Curing bacon and gammon has been a core part of the business since the very beginning. From curing, through smoking to baking it all happens here in the Riverford butchery and kitchen. We use a 'Wiltshire type' cure - dry curing using salt, sugar and saltpetre before submersing in brine to finish the process off. The bacon is then either smoked or hung until dry. Bacon is then sliced and the gammons are jointed or cooked for ham.

The most utilitarian of meats (as well as being the best way of tormenting vegetarians) bacon is indispensable. In our house, most of it gets cut up as a base for Bolognese sauce, soups, casseroles and pulse based dishes or into lardons which get crisped in the oven for salads or additions for pasta. That's before we even start on the sandwiches, pancakes with maple syrup, and slapping it on the chicken or wrapping it around pork fillets, chicken breasts and 'mini-roasts' etc.

Since we started the meat box scheme, every box has contained a packet of our dry cured bacon. Originally salting pork was the only way of keeping the household pig fresh to eat through the year. Now, with continual supply and refrigeration, we tend to eat bacon for flavour rather than out of necessity but the best tasting and cooking bacon is still the properly cured. The science baffles me but in essence the salt inhibits the growth of spoilage micro organisms by drawing out the water through osmosis. Most nasty bacteria love water. Beneficial (mainly lactobacillus) organisms come to the fore, often with the help of added sugar, which generate a lowering of acidity, also helping preserve the meat. This ‘fermentation’ is similar to the process used to make yoghurt.

Label readers might, with some justification, ask why, even Riverford bacon, contains the dreaded saltpetre (potassium nitrate – E252). Saltpetre serves two purposes. Firstly it acts as a preservative during the period before the salt and lactobacillus kick in. Secondly it ‘fixes’ the colour, stopping the bacon going grey when it is cooked. There is a considerable debate in organic circles whether the addition of nitrates (which turn into nitrites during the process) should be allowed. This is complicated and contradicted by the legal definition of bacon insisting the inclusion of curing salts (salt plus one or more of potassium, or sodium, nitrite or nitrate). There are people, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall for example, who insist that nitrates are unnecessary, and I suspect that with the help of some high tech equipment and processes, it will soon be achievable on a commercial basis. However, until then, let’s look at the bright side. Twenty years ago the norm was bacon stuffed with every colouring and water retaining additive known to man. Now there are thousands of butchers curing their own and you really don’t have to look far to get a pretty decent rasher.

Riverford Meatballs

Everywhere else in the world, meatballs are big news. Cheap and versatile, they offer a tasty and easy meal. Because they are so small you can cook them straight from frozen. I love them. For the home cook, they are a bit of a hassle to make and you tend to need specialist ingredients which you might never need again. When I found that you could buy a machine to make them, and we could do them in quantity, I couldn't resist it. Hence the Riverford Meatball. We make a range of six varieties, all tasting completely different. The beauty of the meatball is that you don't need much else to turn them into a proper meal. Dips and Pitta bread, sweet and sour sauce, tomato and yoghurt sauce etc. The hard work has been done by us. All you have to do is cook them and eat them.

Riverford Porchetta

Porchetta is a speciality of Central Italy. In Lazio they stuff and roast whole small pigs and it is a staple of every motorway service station. Our Porchetta is slowly roasted shoulder of pork which has been marinated in fennel seed, garlic and a little chilli to give it its distinct taste. It certainly doesn't need any extra seasoning.

The best thing to do with Porchetta is to eat it in a wholemeal roll with mayonnaise and salad - baked potatoes are another more substantial option. I hope you enjoy it. It has been a great success in the farm shops since we introduced it a couple of years ago.

Riverford Sausages

The best sausages are the simplest ones. If you look at the great sausages of the world; Chorizo, Toulouse and salami Napoli for example, the list of ingredients is incredibly short. At Riverford we steer clear of the 'honey roast' and 'hickory smoked', which are just a list of synthesized flavours, and concentrate on quality, both in ingredients and manufacturing practise. For ingredients we use only fresh meat (with the correct amount of fat), fresh herbs, natural casings, proper unsynthesised seasoning and no additives. We mince the meat just the once (you can see the meat in our sausages) and mix as little as possible so the mix doesn't emulsify. The sausages are made using an old fashioned sausage filler and then linked by hand. They are then hung overnight to dry and settle. The result is a sausage to be proud of. The English Breakfast Sausage can be a wondrous thing.

Black Pudding, Boudin Noir, Morcilla

After years in the doldrums, the black pudding has recently undergone something of a revival as an essential ingredient in the ‘modern British / gastro pub’ food world. Scallops with black pudding is a combination that really has been flogged to death. We all saw what Gordon Ramsey thought of it when he visited the infamous Napoleon's Bistro.

Black pudding evolved as a way of preserving and making use of blood (usually pigs). Predictably, on the continent where they like to survive with a little style, the black pudding evolved into something of an art form with the addition of various different cereals, cream, calvados and fruit such as raisins and apples. Because, when fresh it needs to be continually stirred to avoid coagulating, most black pudding is made from dried blood. In the UK it is then mixed with water, oats and / or barley, diced fat and seasoning. I think a bit of onion is also good. The mixture is then filled into casings, poached and cooled. For many, including me, the humble Bury black pudding with a fried egg on top takes a lot of beating but I have probably put you off the idea for good.

Organic Wine

Organic is an emotive word, particularly in the case of wine. In most areas of food production, conventional producers blame their organic counterparts for creating a market by slagging them off. Sometimes they have a point, sometimes they don’t. For example if you add up the amount of chemicals the organic wine and cotton producers claim their conventional counterparts use, all other types of agriculture would be virtually chemical free (which we know isn’t the case). For example, if, as Fresh and Wild claim, conventional viticulture, which accounts for 10% of arable land worldwide, uses 75% of agricultural herbicides and 50% of pesticides, we hardly have to worry about herbicide residues on our lettuce.

In the case of wine, until very recently organic wine was a joke. The blazers and school ties who dominated the trade couldn’t understand it at all. Organic food, yes, but wine, no. It was a bit like asking for an organic Van Gogh. If it was called wine its integrity was unquestionable. The quality of many of the cheaper organic wines gave the blazers another stick. It is only in the last five years that the ‘beard and jumper’ brigade has finally started acquiring some technical expertise and turning out some decent wine. There were exceptions (Chateau de Brau being one notable one) but for the most part if you wanted to buy a decent bottle of organic wine you needed to spend nearly £10. Once you get into this price bracket the producer will be aiming at quality rather than quantity so the need for fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides will be reduced. As a general rule the need to buy organic wines is reduced the more expensive the wine is. Don’t be put off a bottle of ‘La Montrachet’ just because it isn’t organic.
The vast majority of the wine we drink is in the sub £6 bracket, a wines provenance is worth thinking about. A bottle of branded Australian wine will probably be from high yielding, fertilized and irrigated vines, harvested by machine, treated with sulphur to stop the grapes from oxidizing. The grapes will be shipped in from all over the place to massive, state of the art, wineries. They will be pressed, fermented and bottled as fast as possible to save money and prevent uncontrollable, secondary fermentations occurring. The system of agriculture will be one of monoculture, making the consequences of undesirable infestation more likely and severe, necessitating the need for fungicides and pesticides. In the quest for total uniformity, modified strains of yeast will be used and any undesirable flavours that, somehow, slip through the net will be drowned out by a ridiculous amount of extra, toasted oak, seasoning. More sulphur will be added at bottling to kill off any remaining life. If that is all OK, don’t forget that the reason it is £4.99 rather than £3.99 is because they have to spend a lot of money on advertising to make you drink the stuff.

Compare this with a bottle of Domaine de Brau’s Cuvee Gabriel, one of the new generation of good value, organic wines. The grapes will have been grown on the estate in the Languedoc, without fertilizers, insecticides etc. The estate is about 25 hectares, not all of which is under vines, on poor soil, so the vines have to work to get their nutrients and character. Harvesting is by hand and the fermentation traditional. If it is wet, and mildew a threat, tiny amounts of copper sulphate will be used in the vineyard and sulphur dioxide will be used in the winery to prevent oxidization. And that is that. It won Gold Medal and ‘Red Wine of the Year’ at the International Wine Challenge a couple of years ago. Every vintage is different but they are always good.

For every Jacobs Creek there are hundreds of better, more individual wines, far more deserving of our patronage. They are often better value. So my reasons for supporting organic viticulture are two fold. Firstly, I like to know what I am drinking, and, secondly, ‘variation is the spice of life’.

At Riverford we import wine, directly, from a number of producers in France, Italy and Spain. Two of these are not organic. Domaines Perrin in the Southern Rhone, and Chateau la Baronne in Corbieres, have both been practicing ‘cuvee naturelle’ methods since before I was born. They easily sell all there wine so why bother to get certified?

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