PH Rose Veal
Author
Discussion

Life Saab Itch

Original Poster:

37,069 posts

216 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
Would anyone be interested in buying a quarter or a half of a Rose Veal calf.

I'm trying to convince my parents to get a few calves to grow for veal. They have 10 acres of land in Somerset that they only use for grass keep that I'm sure they would prefer to use themselves. It's not registered as organic land, but in the 10 years they've had the land it's not had anything sprayed on it apart from out the back end of a cow that's only been eating the grass from the same fields.


At the moment this is just to gauge how much demand there would be, but I seem to remember there was a good response to Mark Benson (iirc) growing on the PH pigs.

I'm not sure on costs at the moment, but when they did their last set of pigs, it was purely to cover their costs of initial cost of the animal/feed/abbatoir/butchery costs. Obviously I would hope to be able to get the calves for virtually nothing locally from dairy farms.
Stick your names below and how much you would want.

calibrax

4,788 posts

239 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
I'm definitely interested, but of course it would depend on the total cost.

With rose veal being slaughtered at 35 weeks, they would be what, around 300kg+ per calf? So I'm not sure if a quarter may be too much. Maybe an eighth would be better...


Pete Franklin

849 posts

209 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
I'm also interested depending on cost + I'm local so should be convenient. one question I have though- will the meat be straight from the abatoir or have you got any facilities to hang it? This could have quite an impact on the end product. I would probably be able to take a quarter of a beast maybe more depending on cost.

Life Saab Itch

Original Poster:

37,069 posts

216 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
calibrax said:
I'm definitely interested, but of course it would depend on the total cost.

With rose veal being slaughtered at 35 weeks, they would be what, around 300kg+ per calf? So I'm not sure if a quarter may be too much. Maybe an eighth would be better...
I need to do a bit more research in to the cost.

Dad's mate trained as a butcher and has offered to do any butchering at mate's rates/for a few lbs of meat. The abbatoir has to be used and is probably the biggest cost.

From previous experience it's easier to just go quarters. If anyone wanted to go lower, then if they were to pair up and have a quarter between them, that'd be easier. smile

Life Saab Itch

Original Poster:

37,069 posts

216 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
Pete Franklin said:
I'm also interested depending on cost + I'm local so should be convenient. one question I have though- will the meat be straight from the abatoir or have you got any facilities to hang it? This could have quite an impact on the end product. I would probably be able to take a quarter of a beast maybe more depending on cost.
The abbatoir will hang meat for you. They do charge for it though.


With the pigs we had last time, they were hung for 3 days after slaughter iirc to firm up the meat. This was included within the cost of slaughter.



Another thing on the list though, it would be worth a chat with a local butcher to see if he would have space for 21days...

Pete Franklin

849 posts

209 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
Sounds well thought through. I'm not sure what the optimum is for veal? texture is somewhere in between pork and beef so i guess somewhere inbetween- 7-14 days?

Either way I'm in

Mobile Chicane

21,976 posts

240 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
If a quarter will fit in the pax seat of an Elise, I'm in.

I've had stranger things in there - six 20Kg sacks of logs, a seven foot Christmas tree, and a Great Dane among them.

The facility to visit the farm and see it 'on the hoof' would be much appreciated smile

Life Saab Itch

Original Poster:

37,069 posts

216 months

Monday 11th June 2012
quotequote all
Mobile Chicane said:
The facility to visit the farm and see it 'on the hoof' would be much appreciated smile
I'm sure that could be arranged.

Life Saab Itch

Original Poster:

37,069 posts

216 months

Friday 15th June 2012
quotequote all
Any more for any more?

Pete Franklin

849 posts

209 months

Friday 15th June 2012
quotequote all
I think some people are a bit scared of veal and/ or don't know what it tastes like. It's a shame because its a really nice subtle flavoured meat.

21TonyK

13,235 posts

237 months

Friday 15th June 2012
quotequote all
We're going to do a test for a week or so with rose veal we can buy locally. If it sells I could be in for at least one.

D1bram

1,518 posts

199 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
quotequote all
Tried Rose Veal from M&S yesterday, brought to my attention by the Jimmy & the Giant Supermarket programme.

We had a schnitzel (sp?), and it was delicious, definitely something we will be buying again.

Life Saab Itch

Original Poster:

37,069 posts

216 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Ok. Possibly enough to tempt my parents in to testing.

Thanks, I'll let people know the score via this thread. smile