A Rare Treat From A Rare Breed

The Gloucester is an ancient breed renowned for its high quality, delicious beef.

Raised non-intensively on grass and home-produced hay our animals are matured slower for improved flavour.

Like old fashioned beef it is fine-grained, well marbled and cooks to produce tender succulent meat.

History of the Gloucester Breed

The Gloucester breed is a very ancient breed, numerous as early as the 13th century. They were highly valued for their milk (producing Double Gloucester cheese), their beef and for providing strong and docile draught oxen. However with the introduction of intensive farming techniques their numbers passed into decline in favour of larger and faster maturing breeds. By 1972 the breed was threatened with extinction with only one herd remaining. Fortunately, with the dedication and foresight of five devotees, the breed was saved. Today Gloucesters are still classed as 'Endangered'.

The Fenton Herd at Home

Did you know? - 'Blossom', a very famous Gloucester cow, was used by Sir Edward Jenner in 1786 to provide the first anti- smallpox serum.

THE FENTON HERD

The Burgess family has been cattle farmers for generations, but it wasn't until 1974 that we were able to purchase our first Gloucester cow. The present herd of 45 (and plenty more on the way) has descended from this lovely original matriarch. All year round the herd can be seen grazing the farm's Cambridgeshire fields, their diet being supplemented with home produced hay and barley during the winter. The Gloucester breed's natural docility combined with the vast amount of gentle handling they recieve enable us to know every animal's individual personality.

COME AND VISIT THE 'FENTON' HERD

If you would like to visit our herd of Gloucesters you are most welcome. We have a very handsome bull and lots of lovely cows and calves grazing directly behind our house in Conington and many more in the fields between Conington and Fenstanton. You can see what they eat, where they live and observe our treatment of them, which we are sure you would find to be very kind.

Some of the 'Fenton' Show Champions below

Fenton Kirsty V(left)

 

Fenton Joan XI &

Fenton Lily I

(right)

Unfortunately of all the male calves born only the very exceptional are kept as bulls, so we are forced to rear the others for meat. We keep them as long as is legally possible (30 months) and then take them to a local abattoir where they are hung for the optimum time and then professionally butchered. We believe very stongly that animals should be reared with care and compassion and even if their life is short it should be good.

BUYING GLOUCESTER BEEF

Gloucester beef is very rare and only sold by specialist butchers, however if you would like to try some 'Fenton' beef we can supply it in packs at direct farm prices. Each pack is 1/8th of a bullock and contains fillet, sirloin, rump, steaks, rib (on and off the bone), topside, silverside (for slow roasting), brisket, braising steak and mince. The packs weigh in the region of 55-65 lbs, are well labelled and frozen ready for your freezer. So Please Give Me A Call.

Buying Gloucester Beef will help save an Ancient Breed

Keith & Helen Burgess

Tel/Fax:- 01954 267615

heb999@hotmail.com