A British beef farmer tells us how to buy the best meat

These are the cuts you should be looking out for in the supermarket


Andrew Baker has been farming in Devon for nearly 20 years and started rearing cattle for beef about 10 years ago.

We decided to pick his brains over what you should look out for in the supermarkets when buying your beef.

Hi Andrew. How has the recent obsession with eating clean affected your business?

Well, there’s actually been an increase in demand over the last few years for suppliers in prime beef. I reckon this is because people are more and more concerned about the origins of their food and are willing to pay that little bit extra to ensure higher standards.

One of the Red Devon Cows that Andrew farms

What should you look out for on the packaging?

It’s important to read the labels carefully before you buy the food. On the packaging, beef can come from abroad and still be called “British” even if it was only processed and packaged in this country.

Normally just below the Union Jack, it’ll have to specify whether it was only the last stages of production that took place in the UK. The easiest thing to look for in order to know where you’re beef is coming from is the red tractor symbol, which guarantees that all the stages of production have happened in this country.

It also means that the cattle were not fed steroids, antibiotics (except for infections), growth hormones and animal by-products such as bone-meal.

The red tractor label is the one to look for

There’s also the “leafmark”, which guarantees the beef is of an even higher standard, nearly organic, but this is a bit rarer.

So what’s the difference between organic and grass-fed beef?

Organic beef will only ever be fed on grass that has not been subject to herbicides, which is used to kill weeds, but has been fertilised with manure. Basically the whole process is guaranteed to be chemical free.

Grass-fed beef will normally be subject to similar conditions as organic cattle but chemicals might have been used at some point- for instance spraying herbicides on grass that has been affected with broad leaf weeds.

Is there a difference in quality between grass-fed/organic and store cattle?

Store-cattle are generally reared indoors with the food being brought to them. As well as grass, the cattle are often fed other grain to make them put on weight quickly, such as barley.

The meat is cheaper, because they are reared in a shorter space of time, but it does not have as good a taste. Also because they are reared in an internal environment, leading to more respiratory problems and therefore a higher risk of infection and requiring treatment with antibiotics.

Generally grass-fed cattle are “slow-grown”, meaning that the cattle are just fed on grass, so they grow gradually at a natural rate.

European breeds, such as the Limousin or Belgian Blue have been bred to put on weight rapidly, compared to native British breeds like the Red Devon, Hereford and Angus, tend to have a slower growth rate.

This also means that the beef will normally have a better taste in comparison to store-cattle.

Can you tell a difference by looking at the meat?

Yes, livestock that have been “slow-grown” will normally have a darker red tone compared to store-cattle which has a much lighter in colour, this is because store-cattle have not built up as much muscle-tone as free-range cattle.

Free-range meat also has little bits of fat throughout the cut, this is called “marbling” and when the beef is cooked it stops the meat from becoming too dry.

What cheap cuts have the best taste?

As a rule of thumb, the cuts that generally take longer to cook are cheaper because they are not as convenient for most meat buyers.

For instance, beef cheeks and shin require a lot of preparation but if you have the time they can be cooked to become very flavoursome and tender.

You can really save some money though- a sirloin costs £15.99 per kilo, whereas brisket costs £5.99 per kilo.