Category: Blog

Gotland Sheep come from the Swedish island of Gotland. The breed was established by the Vikings using Karakul and Romanov sheep (Russian) and the native Landrace Sheep. The Vikings were great seafarers as well as sheep farmers and took these animals on their extensive voyages to provide meat and skins along the route. Hence the spread of these Northern short-tailed sheep and the development into related breeds such as Goth sheep, Icelandic, Finnsheep, Shetland, North Ronaldsay and Manx. Primitive horned Gotland sheep still exist on the island of Gotland today. The Gotland Peltsheep (pälsfår) or modern Gotland has been developed in Sweden since the 1920’s through controlled breeding and intensive selection, producing a true multipurpose long wool sheep, yielding good flavoured close-grained meat, furskins and soft silky lustrous fleece.The breed were first brought to the UK in 1972 by the Antartex Sheepskin Co. There are now about 40 pure bred Gotland flocks throughout Britain, with a concentration in the South West.

We are very excited to have access some Gotland Mutton. The meat is dark and well flavoured. The Sheep are not fat.

 

Many kind people have said lovely things about The Thoroughly Wild Meat Company. I’ve collated some of them here.

Observer Food Monthly No 1 Meat Suppliers for Christmas

Debbie Major, Delicious Magazine Your meat was OUTSTANDING ! Everyone who ate it was bowled over. So thank you!

CT, London As ever, Andrew, you’re a winner all the way! That salmon-cut silverside from the Ruby Red beef is brilliant. And, superb value.

Rose Prince, author & food journalist The finest English Lamb producer

Telegraph Weekend Iconic Foods of the Decade – Dry Aged Beef from Thoroughly Wild Meat

RC, London Just to say how delicious the ribs of beef were yesterday – It cooked very well, and I can’t remember when I last had such an enjoyable beef roast

FC, Somerset We ate the Salt Marsh Lamb Chops tonight, OMG they are outstanding

Craig, Castle Cary Andrew, as I tell everybody, there is no better butcher.

JW, Somerset Your salsicce sausages are phenomenal, the rib of beef the best we’ve ever had. Keep up the amazing standards!

 

 

Here at The Thoroughly Wild Meat Company we are influenced by Italian cuisine and Italian butchery. However, most Italians would not recognise much of what we create here with our dry aged Beef, the 6-week black rib. For them 30-month old Beef is not on the menu, the choice is Vitello (veal) or Vitellone. And Vitellone is arriving here soon.

Most veal is produced from calves that are predominantly milk-fed, killed at around five or six months and are raised in barns and given access to the outside, but only on concrete.

Vitellone Beef is different. It is produced from older animals – around 10 months old. They have milk for three months and are then allowed out to pasture to graze. The meat is hung for around 10 days. It is slightly darker in colour than veal, but it still has very little fat and is unbelievably tender. However, the most important bit – flavour – it has a delicate beef flavour that we think puts it in a class of its own.

It is seasonal, and the cuts suit a lovely Summer lunch.

I was introduced to Salsicce by a friend & fellow stall-holder at The Bath Farmer’s Market (where you can find us most Saturdays) Manuele Di Vincenzo. He’s a Sicilian and he asked me to make a pork sausage to his recipe, a slightly vague recipe admittedly. But, you know, I’ve seen the movies. When a Sicilian asks me to do something I do it. Anyway, he loved them. I read more and learned more, and after my last visit to Italy refined the recipe. They are good, very good.

Salsicce contain no bread crumbs. They’re gluten free, which is a popular thing in this day and age. They are rich and delicious, remarkable really. The meat and fat is minced just once so they have a coarse, meaty texture. They are seasoned and made by hand.

Their provenance isn’t exactly Sicilian. You find them all over Italy, with regional recipe variations. Manuele’s have a little paprika with fennel seed and garlic. They are very popular. But I also make one with Parmigiano cheese, and another with oregano. They’re all excellent.

You should use these to cook with. Try this: sautée some onion, add the sausages, a splash of white wine & simmer. Serve with pan seared broccoli. You’ll be happy.