The Exmoor Beef Journey

On a shining but chilly October morning, a group of GFD.co managers took a day trip, following the path of our Exmoor Beef all the way from the table back to the farm. It was a revealing and informative day, and it reaffirmed our confidence in the amazing product we are happy to serve in The Thatch, Billy Budds, the Depot, and The Sawmills!

What stood out most of all throughout the day was just how short a distance our Exmoor Beef travels. From Chris Lerwill’s Waytown Farm, the cattle travel around 2 miles to reach the self-owned abattoir, and from there to the Philip Dennis butchery, and on to the Thatch, the produce travels little more than twenty miles in total. This incredibly short journey doesn’t unnecessarily stress the animals and keeps the carbon footprint of the Exmoor Beef to a tiny fraction of intensive livestock farming operations.

The whole process pays respects to the incredible Exmoor National Park by maximising sustainability, and all while providing meat which is supremely flavourful and tender.

The hand-reared cattle graze the open meadows and moorlands of Exmoor, and in the colder months are kept in low population, spacious, straw-bedded cattle sheds. Absolutely no intensive farming techniques are applied. Instead, Chris Lerwill insists on using the traditional methods with which he has years of experience. It was. Chris’ determination to achieve top-quality results that led him to buy and reopen a previously disused abattoir just a couple of miles from his farm, meaning that the cattle do not have to travel large distances after leaving the farm for slaughter. From there, the talented butchers at Philip Dennis prepare the best cuts to our specifications.

We are proud to use Exmoor Beef in our burgers, roasts, and plenty of other dishes and our managers and staff have always been confident in the quality of the products that go into our meals, but this day out really drove home just how special Exmoor Beef is! It’s the best quality meat, with the most sustainable methods, and the smallest environmental impact possible.

So next time you sit down to a meal with us, rest assured that you’re getting the best beef possible. We hope to see you soon!