We are very proud and excited to introduce you to our new supplier of buffalo steaks: Broughton Water Buffalo.
Broughton Farm is just outside the pretty village of Stockbridge in Hampshire.
It’s in the Test Valley, a gorgeous area right in the middle of three officially designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Cranbourne Chase, the North Wessex Downs, and the South Downs National Park).
With rolling hills, natural streams, and stunning views in every direction, this is the English countryside at its very finest.
Broughton Farm itself spreads over 500 acres, and farmer Nick has been breeding buffalo there for 14 years.
He uses only completely natural farming methods, meaning no fertilisers or chemicals are used at all on the farm, and the 250 buffalo that live there are left to roam their huge pastures amongst wild grasses and flowers that are left waist-height to mimic their natural habitat.
The buffalo are never given any additional feed than what grows on the farm, and they aren’t given hormones or antibiotics, either.
This very natural life is how farming was done 100s of years ago, and is really clear in the resulting meat that the buffalo produce.
To help drain the soil at Broughton, Nick has planted Lucerne, which is in the same plant family as clover. It has high levels of protein and fibre and the buffalo love to eat it, and its long roots can grow up to 15 metres in length, helping with soil drainage. It also means the plants still survive even during dry periods because the long roots can reach water far below the surface.
The buffalo are slaughtered very close to the farm, so their transport time is minimal, which is of course better for the animals as they have less stress to deal with.
The meat is left to hang and dry-age for 21 days which helps tenderise the meat and also allows the flavour to develop. After hanging, the meat is portioned and then frozen in vacuum-sealed packs.
Freezing the steaks is the best way to preserve them at their best, and when you receive them you can easily put them in the freezer if you don’t want to eat them straight away.
Buffalo itself is a very lean meat, similar to beef but with a more robust flavour – delicate but with a full, rich taste that beef just doesn’t have.
You can order Broughton buffalo steaks online individually, or buy a Buffalo Selection box containing one of each steak, and this way you also save 15% on the individual prices.
We know our buffalo is good – and we are really happy to let you know that our Buffalo Sirloin steaks have been shortlisted as Best British Meat in the 2017 Great British Food Awards.
The winners will be announced in September, and we are confident Broughton will come out on top!
For more information please see:
Buffalo Steaks
Buffalo Steak Selection Box
Great British Food Awards 2017
19th June 2017
