As we celebrate Great British Beef Week, The Cornish Times spoke to Ladies in Beef member Morwenna Bone. Farming has been in Morwenna’s family for many generations, and she is passionate about the beef she and her husband Richard raise with care on the lush grass of the Lamorna Valley.
Morwenna and Richard run the St Buryan Farm and Farm Shop, and we asked her about farming and family life, and the benefits of supporting local producers for both the shopper and the farming community.
How does your farm and the shop work with your family?
The farm shop and farm can be very busy and this can be challenging, especially with a young, energetic family (two boys, Cadan aged nine and Harvey aged six).
The current closure of schools has put an extra strain on the family as we are home schooling which is a struggle to juggle along with the farm shop and farm.
That said, we are grateful to be busy and we love seeing customers happy with the beef they buy from us. I would say one of the most difficult parts of having the farm shop is trying to get a work life balance, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!
What makes beef reared locally a better buy for people?
Customers often ask where the beef is from… and I can just point to the field where it was raised! People get to connect with their food and be proud of where it comes from.
The environmental impact of buying local meat means lower food miles, therefore fewer carbon emissions. We are finding customers are increasingly aware of provenance of their meat so offering delicious home reared beef is one of the main reasons our customers come back time and time again.
Our customers often say our beef is the best they’ve ever tasted and we often get told about the amazing beef recipes they’ve made at home, as it’s so easy and versatile to cook with.
Why do you feel supporting British Beef is so important especially at the moment?
2020 is the 10th anniversary of Great British Beef Week. The annual event highlights British beef and inspirational British Farmers, which is especially important during this unprecedented time.
I believe British beef is the best in the world. British farmers’ welfare standards are the highest worldwide and environmental standards for British farming are very stringent.
The high welfare of our British Beef means that consumers can be reassured that when they see the Red Tractor logo the animals have been raised to extremely high standards.
Our home reared beef cattle are also grass fed and this really comes through in the flavour and texture of our meat – it’s delicious!
Cooking with beef is incredibly easy – there are a variety of inspiring and delicious beef dishes which can be made using beef as a key ingredient with store cupboard items.
Beef is also a nutritionally valuable part of a balanced diet which I believe is more important than ever now we’re all eating at home. Supporting British Farmers is key – farmers have had a pretty rough deal lately, but the support we are getting from our customers is amazing! We are recognised and appreciated as Key Workers, working to feed our country.
Great British Beef Week takes place from April 23-30. Further information on Great British Beef Week can be found on ladiesinbeef.org.uk/events/