Woodlands Jersey Beef farm recognised by Good Calf Commendation at Compassion in World Farming
Woodlands Jersey Beef farm in Hampshire is up for a Good Calf Commendation at Compassion in World Farming's annual Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards on 27 September, for the work it does with Jersey bull calves.
Generally perceived by the rest of the trade to be too light to be worth using for beef production, Jersey bull calves are usually culled at birth and their carcasses discarded.
However, Woodlands owners Jane and Paul Denley, members of the NFU, have made a thriving business by buying these waste calves at 10 days old and turning them into premium beef that is sweeter than other meat and used by top restaurants including Michel Roux Jnr's Le Gavroche.
Jane Denley said: "I have always been concerned by the treatment of dairy bull calves - particularly Jersey calves - and was lucky enough to be in a position to do something about it.
"We entered the Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards because they are a great way to raise awareness of what we do, which is good for our business, but also to raise awareness of the poor treatment of Jersey bull calves. We also firmly believe that the meat we produce is superior to other beef and have dozens of testimonials to prove it."
The calves are given twice-daily milk feeds for four to five months until they are weaned and put out to pasture. The calves are then grown-on in natural outdoor surroundings for two to three years, fed on grass, hay and sugar beet to supplement their winter diet. Woodlands Jersey Beef farm never uses supplements or routine antibiotic treatments - just fresh air, rain and natural feeds. The beef is matured on the bone for 28 days to give deep textures, rich marbling, exceptional succulence and outstanding flavour.
Steve McIvor, director of food business at Compassion in World Farming, said: "The work Woodlands Jersey Beef do to improve the plight of Jersey bull calves and the fact that they have been able to make a successful and profitable business out of it is a fantastic story and an example to everyone."
By Lisa Jenkins
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