Why Eat Rose Veal?

“To banish veal for ever from our shopping list and our menu is to condemn potential veal calves to a heinous fate.”
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

We decided to farm veal about 2 years ago for a simple reason. It’s unethical not to. We’ve answered some of the most key questions about rose veal but if you have any others then please email us and we will get back to you!

Why Eat Veal?

Here’s a crazy thought; If you drink milk or eat cheese then veal calves are a bi-product of your consumption. As part of the dairy industry, baby calves are born regularly in order for the cows to produce milk.

Of course, the cows don’t just give birth to females, but also males. The female cows have a lot of worth-as they are used for dairy. The boys however aren’t so easy to sell. They don’t fatten up into beef and they cant produce milk so unless they are sold for veal their destiny is to be put down or exported abroad.

Eating veal means your stopping food-wastage or exportation.

But what about veal crates?

This is where things are thankfully very different today. Crates were outlawed in the UK in 1990 and in 2007 in Europe for very good reason. Now ethical rose veal is reared outside so the calves have a free-range life. No crates in sight.

Why eat local veal?

We have a bit of a bugbear with restaurants that use veal purchased from abroad…Why? It is encouraging the exporting of our young animals and also  on the continent the animals are often kept in sheds with slatted floors*. It is so important to eat as locally as possible and to encourage restaurants to do the same to ensure these calves are living as good a life as possible. Our rose veal doesn’t travel far; we get our calves from our local diary farmer and we send them to slaughter in our local slaughter house.

What does Rose mean?

Rose veal means that the meat is pink which signifies a more active life and a varied diet. Our meat is a medium pink colour as our calves are outdoors until about 6-8 months (same as lamb) when they then go to slaughter.

What does rose veal taste like?

Rose veal has a clean, lighter beef flavor and is very tender. It’s a brilliant all rounder for many recipes. It’s also lower in fat. You can order our Northern Irish Rose Veal here.

“If you actually think about it, it’s crueller not to eat veal than it is to eat it.”
Janet Street-Porter

* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/10770703/Why-its-time-to-welcome-back-veal.html