We love to barbecue, and we cannot explain how excited we are now the weather’s finally starting to warm up and outdoor cooking season is so close.
Cooking over coals (or gas!) really brings out our inner caveman and it’s just a much more rewarding way of cooking than almost anything else.

Here in the UK we’re far behind the BBQ game as it is in the USA, and most barbecues we get invited to are based around burgers and sausages, grilled until they’re over-done and crunchy.
There’s so much more to barbecue than this!

Because of our love of barbecuing we wanted to bring you something special and help to raise your BBQ to the next level.

And therefore - may we introduce you to Lane’s BBQ Rubs and Sauces.

Ryan Lane is an award-winning pitmaster from Bethlehem in Georgia, where barbecuing is a way of life. Ryan was making rubs and sauces for himself, but because he had so much interest in them from friends, family, and rival pitmasters, he set up his own company to make and distribute them.

Lane’s rubs are made from all natural, dry ingredients, with seasoning and spices in various mixes to give your meat of choice a massive punch of flavour.
They’re gluten free, with no added preservatives or MSG.
And they’re so easy to use; just take your meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, lightly oil and coat generously in your choice of rub, then cook as normal.
The rub adds flavour and also helps the meat stay moist and tender, as it forms a delicious crust on the outside, keeping the moisture inside where you want it.

Our favourite rub is probably the classic Signature – it’s a savoury blend with a hint of ancho chilli for a mild kick of heat.
Sweet Heat has more spice, and if you’re feeling brave SPF53 is the hottest rub that Lane’s make.

Lane’s also have a range of sauces, and we’re proud to say we stock all of them.
Sorta White is mayonnaise-based with subtle spices, and Kinda Sweet is like the best BBQ sauce you’ve ever tried – but better!
One-Legged Chicken sauce is a fiery, smoky sauce that is perfect slathered on chicken wings before cooking.

We’re confident you’ll love Lane’s as much as we do, and all orders placed in April and May will come with a sample pack of Lane’s Signature rub so you can try it yourself. Each sample pack is enough for 2-4 chicken breasts depending how seasoned you like them. Just lightly oil the chicken, toss it in the rub until the chicken’s covered, and either roast for 30 minutes or cook on the BBQ.

These Rubs will change how you barbecue forever!

We are delighted to be the sole UK importer and distributor of the full range of Lane’s rubs and sauces, and we hope you will be as impressed with them as we are.

If you're looking for inspiration on cooking with your Lane's rubs, take a look at their Instagram page which is regularly updates with dishes cooked by Ryan Lane and others using his rubs.

For more information please see:
Lane’s BBQ Rubs and Sauces

10^th April 2017

There’s much more to steak than fillet, sirloin and ribeye – and although we love the ‘prime’ cuts of beef, we’d like to introduce you to something a bit different.

We’ve recently extended our beef range, and we now have some more unusual cuts of beef available to order online.

Some of the less well-known cuts of beef are also the most delicious, but because people don’t know about them, demand isn’t as high and therefore the prices are lower. It’s a win-win situation!

Bavette is a perfect example of this.
Also known as Skirt steak in American cooking, bavette is pronounced ‘ba-vet’, and it’s taken from the belly and actually technically more like offal than steak.
Beef bavette is so full of flavour and easy to cook that it’s really a shame it isn’t more popular in the UK. It can be tough if over-cooked so we recommend cooking quickly and serving medium-rare.
To cook, simply place in a hot pan for 2-3 minutes each side, leave to rest for 20 minutes, then slice before serving.

Onglet is our other new steak that’s now available online.
Onglet is pronounced ‘on-glay’ and is also sometimes known as Hanger steak.
If you’ve ever had Steak Frites in France the chances are you have already tried onglet, as it’s much more widely used in France than in Britain.
Onglet is from just below the diaphragm, and the meat has a very distinctive grain and intense, rich taste that’s very moreish.
As with bavette, onglet should be cooked very quickly and served medium-rare. Fry in a hot pan for 2-3 minutes each side, with a long resting period afterwards to make sure the meat will be moist and tender.

We always have bavette and onglet in stock, so now is the time to try something different!
Order online and we can deliver to your door, right across mainland UK, in just a couple of days.

For more information please see:
Beef Bavette
Beef Onglet
New Products

3^rd April 2017

Have you ever tried goat meat? We’re very pleased to let you know we’re now stocking free-range goat from English farms.

Goat meat is healthy and is lower in fat and cholesterol compared to other red meats. Although it is similar to lamb, the difference between goat and lamb meat is that goat is darker in colour, and has a deeper and less sweet flavour.

Goat is very popular in Caribbean, African, and Middle Eastern recipes, and is often cooked in highly-flavoured goat curry or stew. We love this recipe for Jamiacan Curried Goat from Jamaican chef Patrick Williams, which is a hearty, spicy stew perfect for goat.

Our diced goat is taken from the shoulder and loin, and we’ve left it on the bone. Stewing meat on the bone adds to the flavour of the sauce and means your goat curry will be delicious and rich. When cooked the meat falls away from the bone easily, and so having the bone in doesn’t make it hard to eat.

Our goats are from Hampshire, from a family-run farm which has specialised in rearing cattle and goats for over 50 years. The goats are free range and are left to graze happily in the fields. This very natural and traditional lifestyle is reflected in the fine texture and flavour of the resulting goat meat.

If you haven’t tried goat before we would definitely recommend it. We have goat legs and 1kg packs of stewing lamb available, and are looking to extend the range, as well. We can deliver all across the UK for you, so even if you’re not in London you won’t miss out.

We’ve always sold the most popular meats, and we have a number of different cuts of beef, lamb, pork and chicken to choose from. We’re really happy to have now added goat to the selection of meats we have available to buy online, and hope that once you try it you will be converted too.

For more information please see:
Goat Meat online

3rd November 2016

The Game season started 4 weeks ago on the Glorious Twelfth, when the annual Grouse shooting season began on the 12th of August.
We have seen a steady stream of orders ever since, and last week on the 1st September, the next two birds also became available.

Partridge is the most common of the wild game birds in Britain, and because of this it is also the most affordable.
There are 2 types of Partridge – the Red Leg and the Grey Leg.
The Red Leg is the more well-known type, while the Grey Leg is much less common and therefore a lot more expensive.
We stock the Red Leg, and we were sold out on pre-orders even before the first delivery from the moors in Yorkshire.
The partridge is by far our biggest-selling wild game bird, and from now until the season ends at the end of January we’ll have high demand for them.
One of the reasons that partridge are so popular is the flavour. They are mildly flavoured in comparison to other wild game, especially grouse, and this makes them ideal for a first taste of game, of for those who aren’t keen on it.
Another reason for their enormous popularity also has to be the price. At just £5 each, a partridge won’t break the bank.
Each Red leg Partridge serves one person, and is an ideal size to serve roasted whole on a dish, which makes a very grand meal.

If you're struggling to find a recipe for your partridge, countryside magazine The Field has put together their 10 best partridge recipes here. There's more to partridge than just roasting!

Wild Ducks are also now in season, and the largest of the wild ducks in the UK is the Mallard.
Mallard males have green heads, and are a very familiar sight in Britain. The female is brown all over, and less distinctive, although just as widespread.
Mallard are large for a game bird, and are the perfect size for sharing, for an impressive and romantic dinner for two.

On the 1st of October, the final of the main 4 game birds will come into season – the Pheasant.
As with the other birds, Keevils will have them in stock right form the beginning of the season, and we will be able to deliver fresh across the UK.

For more information please see:
Game Birds
Partridge
Mallard
Grouse

1st September 2016

Our new range of sauces is now online and we are very happy to introduce them to you.
Made by our friends at Potts, their sauces are handmade in small batches by a family company in Wiltshire.

We really like how they’ve put a twist on all of our favourite classic sauces, and made them into something much more interesting.
Apple sauce is an essential with roast pork, and Potts have added pear and cider mustard, to make a sweet apple sauce with extra zing.
The Potts version of horseradish sauce is a savoury, spicy mix with added mustard and chili, which makes a standard horseradish seem tasteless in comparison.

Proper gravy is the true test of a good cook, and whether you can rustle up a flavoursome jus from the remnants in your roasting pan is a skill. For those of us that tend to rely on granules or bought sauces, the Potts gravy range is here for you.
Again, not just boring gravy, choose from Beef and Red Wine, Chicken with Thyme and White Wine, and Pork with Cider and Shallots.
Our gravies are fresh and served in secure plastic pouches, which you just heat and serve when your roast is ready. They also make a great sauce to use in pies.

If you order sauce with your steak when you eat out and you’re looking for the same experience at home – we can help.
We have three types of steak sauce available; Béarnaise, Diane, and Peppercorn – classic sauces which will give your steak the finishing touch. Just gently heat before serving.

But the things we’re most impressed with from Potts are the Roasting Kits. Each kit is made for either chicken, beef, pork or lamb, and contains everything you need to make your roast dinner the absolute best it can be.
All roasting kits contain gravy and a side sauce, with stuffing in the chicken cooking kit, Yorkshire Pudding mix in the beef kit, and the pork kit has savoury salt to make your crackling cracking!

We think the new range of sauces will really help to make the most of the meat you buy from us, and we’re really happy to be working together with Potts to bring you an ever wider selection.

For more information please see:
Sauce Range
Steak Sauces
Gravies
Roasting Kits

7th June 2016

We are very proud to announce that now you can buy buffalo steaks from our website.

Our buffalo is from Laverstoke Park Farm, a fully certified organic farm in Hampshire. The farm was set up in 1996 by Formula One driver Jody Scheckter, who was originally just planning on producing food for his family so he could be assured they were eating the best quality, biodynamic produce available.

The farm grew and now houses the largest herd of Water Buffalo in the UK.

The original Laverstoke buffalos were brought in from Italy and Romania, and there are now over 1,500 of their descendants, who are reared naturally and allowed to roam the farm’s 2,500 acres. Living in large straw bedded yards, or grassy paddocks, the young buffalo are fed on a diet of hay, straw, GM-free cereals, and grass from clover-rich pastures. No growth-promoting hormones or antibiotics are given to any animal bearing the quality-assured seal of Laverstoke Park Farm.

The Laverstoke ethos is:
Good Soil = Good Grass = Good Quality Animals = Better Tasting Food = Happy and Healthy People!

Buffalo steak is very similar in appearance to beef steak, and can be cooked in the same way. It has a full flavour which is slightly more intense and game-y than beef.
However, buffalo is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, which makes it a healthier option. The lower fat content means that buffalo may dry out if cooked for too long, so we would advise serving it a little pink in the middle to keep it juicy and full of flavour.

We have a selection of buffalo steaks available to order online, which we deliver to your door. Choose from sirloin, ribeye or rump steaks, and if you can’t choose we have a selection box which contains one of each steak and also comes with a £5 discount.

For more information please see:
Buffalo Steak Range
Buffalo Steak Box

26th May 2016

With the different varieties of free-range, barn-reared, corn-fed, happy chickens available to buy, it can be confusing knowing exactly what you’re getting, and what you should be looking for when you buy a chicken.

There have never been so many options when it comes to buying meat, and every taste and preference is now catered for.

Free-range chickens are those that are free to roam outside during the day, and there has to be at least 1m² of outside space available per chicken.
They are also protected by laws regarding how many are allowed to live together; currently a maximum of 13 chickens for every square metre of inside space.
The typical non-free-range chicken is slaughtered at around 35 days old, whereas a free-range chicken must be at least 56 days old. Not only does this improve the birds’ quality of life, it also allows them to develop fully which leads to more highly-flavoured meat.

It is more expensive to produce free-range chicken because of the lower numbers of them that each farmer can house at any one time, and because they are rearing each chicken for longer. This is turn means free-range is more expensive than standard chicken, but with good reason.

Barn-reared chickens are reared indoors, and don’t have access to an outside environment. They have less indoor space than free-range chicken, and it is permitted to have 15 in each square metre. As with free-range chicken, barn-reared are slaughtered only when they are over 56 days old.

Under EU law to be labelled as Corn-fed, chickens have to be fed at least 50% corn in their diet. The corn gives the meat a yellow tinge, and so it is very obvious if a chicken has been fed a corn-based diet. Corn-fed chickens are renowned for producing meat which is more flavoursome and also more moist than standard varieties.

Our corn-fed chickens are also free-range. The chickens are reared for us in Northern France, and have constant daytime access to grassy outside spaces, as well as having their feed topped up with corn.

In addition we sell English Free-Range Chickens, reared by Creedy Carver in Crediton, Devon. They are completely organic and free-range, and are reared in small flocks in small wooden houses. Possibly the highest-welfare chickens available, the time and care that’s put into rearing each bird is reflected in the quality of the finished product.

For more information please see:
Whole Corn Fed Chicken
Creedy Carver English Free-Range Chicken

15th April 2016

We've recently launched our new wine range, and we're so pleased to be able to offer a range of top quality wines to buy online to complement your choice of meats.

From red to white, still and sparkling, we have selected a range to cover all tastes and occassions.

Being on Smithfield Market we always like to support local business, and we really wanted to have a quality English wine on our wine list. We believe we've got one of the best, as we are now stocking wines from Kent winemaker Chapel Down.

Chapel Down source the majority of their grapes from their 100 acres of vineyards in Kent, but also from other estates in Essex, Surrey and Hampshire.

Far from the very low-grade English wines of days past, Chapel Down's offerings are very highly regarded across the hospitality industry. In fact, as well as supplying the restaurants of celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, Chapel Down are the official wine of the National Opera House. Not bad for an English wine!

We're stocking a core range of Chapel Down wines, and after we'd tasted a few of them - it's a hard job! - we decided we absolutely had to have their Vintage Reserve Brut amongst them. As close to a Champagne as English wine gets, the Brut is made with a mix of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier grapes, and has a very subtle citrus aroma. It's won numerous international wine awards and received top reviews from wine journalists. We can whole-heartedly recommend this as a quality sparkling wine. If you have doubts about English wine - try this and prepare to have your mind changed!

From Chapel Down we also have the Rosé Brut - a very pale, sparkling rosé, made from Pinot Noir; and Flint Dry - a very dry white wine which is best described as an English version of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Both are delicious and very drinkable!

When we mentioned to a few of our customers we were going to be selling wine, we asked them what they would be interested in buying. The resounding answer was  - Malbec. A very popular red wine, Malbec hails from Argentina and is a very hearty, well-rounded red which is finished in oak, and is incredibly well-paired with beef.

We'd heard of the winemaker Beefsteak Club from having tried it in restaurants ourselves, and we really wanted to stock it for our customers. We are really happy to now be selling their Meaty Malbec, and also the higher grade Reserve Malbec. Both are top quality red wines made in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The Reserve is aged for longer which gives it a richer flavour and makes it slightly smoother. If you're looking for a wine to drink with any of our steaks - you won't be disappointed with either of our Malbecs.

And finally: we are famous for our range of Australian beef - particularly the Black Angus - so we just had to have an Australian wine on offer. Again, we tried some of Australia's finest, but we settled on Little Rascal, from Southern Australia. Named after the winemaker's dog, Little Rascal produce quality, affordable wines, and we particularly liked their Chardonnay and Shiraz. Both are nicely balanced, very versatile wines and are a great choice.

Now it's just the difficult choice of which wine to choose! There's a really helpful article here on wine and food pairings which we found interesting.

For more information please see: 
Wine 
Chapel Down Wines 
Malbec Wines

3rd February 2016