TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best British Fresh Meat Types
Angus beef is fresh meat that comes from the Aberdeen Angus cattle, a breed that has its origins in the Scottish counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus. The meat is highly prized for its exceptional marbling, which is believed to contribute to its superior texture, incredible tenderness, juiciness, and excellent flavor.
The breed’s characteristics play only a partial role in the meat’s quality as the breed is often crossed with other cattle breeds. Therefore, the diet, age, lifestyle, maturation, and processing of the meat are of vital importance to the final product.
Scotch beef is meat from cattle that is born and reared in Scotland. These are special beef breeds with naturally suckled calves. It is sold as fresh meat, either the whole body, whole sides, hindquarter, forequarter or cuts of beef. The welfare of the animals and sustainable raising is of utmost importance in the production process.
It should not be confused with Scottish beef, which refers to any cattle born and reared in Scotland, without the PGI certificate. Goes really well with potatoes, roast tomatoes, or used in casseroles or salads.
Hereford cattle are a breed of beef cattle that originated in Herefordshire, England, in the 18th century. They are known for their hardiness, efficiency, and adaptability to various climates and environments, making them a popular breed worldwide.
Hereford cattle are characterized by their distinctive red bodies and white faces, along with white markings on their underbellies, legs, and tails. They can be found in both horned and polled (naturally without horns) varieties. The breed is renowned for its docile temperament, which makes it easier to handle and manage.
Old spots pork is differentiated from other, conventionally produced pork, by its greater fat, smaller and darker muscles, higher tenderness, juiciness and retention of moisture and a completely different flavor. It is sold as cuts such as legs, chops, shoulders, ribs, belly, bacon, sausages and hams.
It's traditionally farmed, meaning that the pork was born and reared in a natural indoor or outdoor environment with the growers providing the best care for the animals.
Scotch lamb is fresh meat from lambs that are born and reared in Scotland. It can be sold as a whole carcass or fine cuts of lamb - hind, saddle, fore, leg, loin and shoulder. Special attention is paid to the welfare and wellbeing of the animals and strict quality standards in selection of carcasses and the specific meat chilling process.
It should be differentiated from the term "Scottish lamb", which is used to describe any lamb that is born and reared in Scotland, but without the unique PGI certificate. It goes really well with lemon, garlic, red wine, spinach, tomatoes and couscous.
Welsh lamb is meat from sheep breeds that are born and reared in Wales and is firm and white with good color and has a sweet, succulent flavor. It is sold as fresh meat, either as whole body or leg, shoulder, loin, saddle or cutlets. The farmers use natural selective breeding methods so that the leanness and the quality of the meat could be improved.
It goes well with rosemary, anchovies, lemon, polenta, or used in burgers, koftas or prepared as steaks.
Welsh mountain sheep is a breed of sheep that is native to the mountainous regions of Wales. Renowned for their outstanding hardiness, the sheep are typically white, small-bodied animals without wool on their face and legs, although some types can be bicolored or entirely black.
Rams are usually horned, while ewes are polled and recognized for their excellent mothering and milking ability, ease of lambing, and high-quality mutton. This domestic breed has been initially bred for milk and wool, but these days the main focus is on the production of meat.
Coming from the Shetland Isles, this uniquely flavored lamb is sold as whole fresh meat or as cuts. Shetland lamb meat is lean because the animals are free to roam over great distances of pastures, hills and shoreline when searching for food, and it is also tender and slightly sweet in flavor.
Special techniques are used when preparing fresh meat, such as hanging, maturation and butchery. It can be stir-fried and roasted and goes well with Teriyaki sauce, wild mushrooms, pumpkins, kale and spices such as coriander and cumin.
West Country lamb is fresh meat that is born and reared in the West Country area in England. It can be sold as a whole carcass, fine cuts or sides of lamb and goes well with herbs, olives, potatoes and with salsas. Although it must be born and reared in the West Country area, it can be slaughtered elsewhere.
The lambs feed on a specific grass based diet, which makes the meat unique in its good muscle composition. A lamb mustn't be over a year old at the time of slaughter, and the meat is full of beneficial fatty acids and vitamin E, among others. It is richly flavored, the fat is white to cream in color, and the meat color varies from pink to dark red (the more mature the meat is, the darker red in color it gets).
Welsh beef is meat from cattle that is born and reared in Wales that is well marbled, firm to the touch and with a loose, consistent texture. It is sold as fresh meat, either whole body, whole sides, part sides, cuts of beef or minced meat.
The farmers use natural selective breeding methods so that the leanness and the quality of the meat can be improved. Welsh beef goes well with roasted vegetables, blue cheese, or used in salads or pies.
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