Buying a whole or half a cow in the UK

[VSS]

So how does it work with licenced mobile slaughtermen? fact is a mobile slaughter man can come to you and kill on your premises for you to use the meat, he is not allowed to dress. Likewise he can turn up with a mobile abattoir and kill infront of vets and prepare the animal for sale.

OK, so it's quite complicated really.

You are correct in so far as it's not legal for a slaughterman (or anyone else) to come onto your premises to kill and dress a carcass, even if it's only for your own consumption. This is because, in the eyes of the law, you supplied him with a live animal and he supplied you with meat that had not been slaughtered in a licensed premises.

The next bit is a grey area. It may be legal for someone to come into your premises to kill an animal for your own consumption, provided that he does not assist in anyway with dressing the carcass. This is because, in the eyes of the law, he may be deemed to be providing a service, rather than supplying a finished product. But the law is not entirely clear, and in all likelihood you would not get away with it, and if he was a licensed slaughterman he may lose his licence for operating outside of a licensed premises.
(The law in Ireland is a bit clearer, and I think it would be OK).

A mobile abattoir can only operate on a licenced site. So, where such an abattoir is owned by a syndicate of farmers, each will have a designated concrete pad with appropriate drainage etc upon which the mobile abattoir must be parked when operating on their farm. So a mobile abattoir can't just rock up on any farm or smallholding. Which is a pity, because there'd definitely be a market for it.
(I think the rules may be a bit different for poultry only mobile abattoirs, but I'm not sure off the top of my head).

 

[levigsp]

OK, so it's quite complicated really.

You are correct in so far as it's not legal for a slaughterman (or anyone else) to come onto your premises to kill and dress a carcass, even if it's only for your own consumption. This is because, in the eyes of the law, you supplied him with a live animal and he supplied you with meat that had not been slaughtered in a licensed premises.

The next bit is a grey area. It may be legal for someone to come into your premises to kill an animal for your own consumption, provided that he does not assist in anyway with dressing the carcass. This is because, in the eyes of the law, he may be deemed to be providing a service, rather than supplying a finished product. But the law is not entirely clear, and in all likelihood you would not get away with it, and if he was a licensed slaughterman he may lose his licence for operating outside of a licensed premises.
(The law in Ireland is a bit clearer, and I think it would be OK).

A mobile abattoir can only operate on a licenced site. So, where such an abattoir is owned by a syndicate of farmers, each will have a designated concrete pad with appropriate drainage etc upon which the mobile abattoir must be parked when operating on their farm. So a mobile abattoir can't just rock up on any farm or smallholding. Which is a pity, because there'd definitely be a market for it.
(I think the rules may be a bit different for poultry only mobile abattoirs, but I'm not sure off the top of my head).

Can I ask where you get your information from and whether this is a very recent change in the law? You see I am licenced to kill livestock, I used to shoot my pigs[100% free range] whilst a vet sat beside me, the animal were then driven 5 miles to the slaughter house and dealt with for human consumption. I have a friend in Kent that rears pigs and sheep on a small holding, a mobile slaughter man does those in his unit and all that is required is fresh cold water connection and free drainage. last time this service was provided was 2019.

 

[VSS]

Can I ask where you get your information from and whether this is a very recent change in the law? You see I am licenced to kill livestock, I used to shoot my pigs[100% free range] whilst a vet sat beside me, the animal were then driven 5 miles to the slaughter house and dealt with for human consumption. I have a friend in Kent that rears pigs and sheep on a small holding, a mobile slaughter man does those in his unit and all that is required is fresh cold water connection and free drainage. last time this service was provided was 2019.

I keep up-to-date from a variety of sources, such as FSA, DEFRA, HSA, etc.
Until recently I was writing regular articles and guidance for publication on this very subject, so had to keep my eye on the ball, but I admit that my info may be a year or so out-of-date, as I have given up the writing side of things. At least, temporarily anyway.
I'm guessing that you've been doing your pigs under similar guidelines as those that permit casualty slaughter under veterinary supervision for subsequent consumption? A neat loophole to exploit.
I wouldn't be so sure about the legality of the mobile slaughterhouse visiting your friend's smallholding, unless he has, in fact, had the site where it parks inspected and approved.
However, as mentioned above, I do concede that I could be a touch out-of-date.

 

[CookM]

I get two carrier bags full of brisket ,skirt shin and mince, plus the tongue,cheek and offal from a very good friend of ours.
Her Ruby Devons are 28 days aged ,and it costs me around £100.

The mince is hard to sell as it is ..l quote too beefy and does not cook down like supermarket beef.

Glad to take the waste.

 

[CookM]

Ruby reds (north Devons), are so called because of their darker colour, as opposed to South Devons which are a sandier colour, they are also smaller.

More of a dark liver colour.

 

[Precision123]

More of a dark liver colour.

Lovely, though.

 

[Brigadoon]

I'm just throwing this out there - do you have any idea just HOW much you will get off half a cow?

Out of interest, what do they want to charge for half a cow?

Late to this but it would very much depend on breed - a Dexter will give you 70-120Kg a Charolais 2-3 times that

 

[Magnificent 7]

Hello,

I have never heard about anyone doing this in the UK but I think it is popular in the USA.

I spend some time in Argentina and have become addicted to using the BBQ for big slow cooked chunks of beef. (comes out better than any typical steak in my opinion)
I'm wondering if I can find a more economical way to do this in the UK.

Has anyone got any experience bulk buying like this? (I would think a big chest freezer or 2 in the garage would cover it)
I see some direct to consumer websites offering half a cow but I think they are marking the price up too much.

Best,
Tom

Just go speak with your local friendly farmer and ask him to buy one direct and get him run it into slaughterhouse for you job done

 

[kingstonandy]

Can I ask where you get your information from and whether this is a very recent change in the law? You see I am licenced to kill livestock, I used to shoot my pigs[100% free range] whilst a vet sat beside me, the animal were then driven 5 miles to the slaughter house and dealt with for human consumption. I have a friend in Kent that rears pigs and sheep on a small holding, a mobile slaughter man does those in his unit and all that is required is fresh cold water connection and free drainage. last time this service was provided was 2019.

I did a WATOK training course for poultry slaughter in 2020, two of the other students on the course were planning to set up a mobile poultry slaughter service. They and the HSA who were running the course believed that there was as yet no legal mobile slaughter service operating in the UK at that time.

 

[levigsp]

I did a WATOK training course for poultry slaughter in 2020, two of the other students on the course were planning to set up a mobile poultry slaughter service. They and the HSA who were running the course believed that there was as yet no legal mobile slaughter service operating in the UK at that time.

They were wrong I know of two and there must be mote.

 

[Bo Diddley]

..l quote too beefy and does not cook down like supermarket beef.

Too beefy... this reminds me of the 1/4 of beef I purchased off a good friend with his own smallholding, I shared the 1/4 with my brother so ended up with an 1/8 each, it was the best beef we have ever tasted, even when I used some mince in a chili it still tasted of Beef , I slow cooked some ribs one night in the oven, made gravy from the juices and served with creamed mash.. once I started eating the ribs I couldn't stop.. ended up eating enough for two nights in one sitting

 

[User00036]

Too Beefy?? & yes. the housewife/supermarket would prefer that it tastes of pureed chicken. Beefy mince makes the best Burgers.....ever. end of.

 

[Ratel]

Just finished the cold remnants of my last bit of Longhorn briskets putting them in a pack up for lunch. Had it slow roasted on Sun with fat still on for four hours. Sliced cold on Mon &Tues with bubble and squeak and chips. Sandwiches Wed lunch and today. The best beef tasting meat since the last and same joint of Longhorn.
A pal does a whole brisket on the BBQ in summer so that's where the next one's going. Apart from a Blackie ewe off the heather it's the best there is, other than my staple diet of venison.

 

[3red dogs]

Who wants to eat beef ? Venison has lived well , fed well , free from chemicals, and usually free from cost

 

[VSS]

Who wants to eat beef ? Venison has lived well , fed well , free from chemicals, and usually free from cost

Playing devils advocate here, and with all due respect, have you seen how thin and weak the Highland deer often look in winter? That negates your first two points. And does anyone keep deer off fields that have been sprayed? No. So that negates your third point. And I doubt your stalking is free from all cost. In fact, for most people it's a pretty expensive hobby. So that's your fourth point gone out the window.
Beef cattle, on the other hand, will have been well cared for, well fed, and, if certified organic, will be free from chemicals. (Even if not organic, at least all medication will have been licensed for use in cattle, and withdrawal periods observed).
And the retail price of good quality beef is about on a par with venison.

But yes, who wants to eat beef? Venison is much nicer! Personally I'm not keen on beef at all.

 

[Dunwaters]

You guys railing about rules and regulations on farms and in slaughter houses have short memories.
They were introduced as a response to farmers and others in the food sector taking pretty horrible liberties with what they were prepared to sell to us, the general public for consumption.
Remember BSE, angel dust and hormone implants? All down to farmers trying to make a few extra shillings. Antibiotic residues? Same thing.
We have mandatory withdrawal periods to protect us from pesticides and herbicides sprayed on our food.
Same thing with humane and hygienic slaughter, a lot of small abattoirs were actually reeking charnel houses where pigeons vied with blue bottles, rats and filthy overalls to contaminate meat products destined for the dinner table.
Being clean and humane costs money, that’s why the regulations were introduced, it wasn’t done by choice, it was forced.
Farming and meat production are not harmless quaint rural pastimes, they’re industrial processes with the potential to cause serious damage far outside the area where they occur, and as such, they need to be regulated.