Tips for Buying Live

What do you see as the benefits?
Full traceability and assurance of provenance. You build up close two way relationships with your suppliers. I have seen our beef walking around, I know the farmers who have produced it and can be assured of quality, welfare issues etc. Farmers talk, they know which shops sell local, quality beef. We've had some very good orders from farmers on the back of this, weddings etc.

How about the end product?
As a butcher in your shop you know everything there is to know about your product. We focus on this as a really important factor in making us different from retailers selling boxed beef such as supermarkets. Our customers love the whole concept. We can vouch 100% for our products. No if's, no buts!! A lot of our customers are farmers and live locally, others are from the city, but they all shop with us for the same reason, quality and provenance.

What else matters?
I follow this through to knowing the haulier and most importantly, getting to know your abattoir. We are sending them a valuable cargo, they have to do a good job. Things can go wrong in the slaughtering process, but by having a good working relationship with, in our case, Yvonne at Shotts Abattoir. Any issues are sorted out and I do visit every so often. There is also the ability to have more control over hanging time. The abattoir will hang your beef free of charge for a week. Your forequarter can come in cut from hindquarter earlier.

Does buying live save the business money?
There are financial benefits. Hide price helps offset slaughtering charge. You get livers, lungs , tail, all can be used. If you're not yet into manufacturing could you look at making more products, potted meat, haggis etc. Certainly, if you can use a whole beast, it is financially worthwhile.

What are the pitfalls?
Mistakes. you do need to have an eye for what suits your trade. Things to consider include: live weight, type of carcass ( fatter/leaner), quiet beast (try to avoid raised carcass/stressed). Some butchers can handle larger beast – 650kg. I buy 520-600kg so our sirloin steak etc are not too big. A well finished continental x gives us a well enough covered carcass with good muscle conformation, a commercial beast that can be handled in a traditional manner. You have to be able to make money on it!

How do you know what to buy?
If you are not confident but want to learn, there are always people willing to help. I have had so much help & advice over the years, you never stop learning!!
Don't always listen to the farmer trying to sell you his beast. I've found that often farmers don't see their beasts as a butcher does! It might be a lean mean meat machine, but no good to a traditional butcher who is wanting to hang it for 4 weeks!

Can someone buy on your behalf?
If you want to buy live but would rather someone else did it, speak to the auction mart. St Boswells have David Magachie who buys for customers who can't be there. He knows exactly what each customer requires and can be relied on to buy well for them. I would point anyone thinking of giving this a try to make their first point of call their local mart who will be only too willing to help: buying and arrange haulage/abattoir.

Is buying live for every butcher?
I would only recommend it to someone who has an interest in being part of the whole chain of production. It can be challenging but the buzz you get out of seeing your own beef coming into the shop, the reassurance you can give your customers and knowing that you are upholding traditions our grandparents held dear is well worth the effort. You make great contacts and friends.

Is it possible to buy a disaster?
I have never (famous last words!!) bought one! You can see very easily what to avoid. You can be disappointed by % returns sometimes, but it happens to us all! Even the cleanest looking beast can per cent poorly, which is really annoying. You do build up a pattern of how certain farms per cent.

Is it possible to bid for a beast without intending to?
The auctioneer will keep you right with bidding. I just have to look at Billy now. He knows what I am likely to buy and would never knock something down to me that I wasn't in for. Until you get to know each other you do need to make it a bit more obvious though, maybe nod your head.

How about the logistics of getting your beef and lamb home?
After you make your purchase, check they are the right ones in the pen and then get your invoice at the office. The mart will help you arrange transport. Our haulier, Skeldons from Kelso, take the beasts straight to Shotts on the Monday. They go into the lairage and are slaughtered on Tuesday morning. Yvonne sends weights by email later in the day. Then you get your calculator out!! Most abattoirs will help arrange delivery to shop.

How tricky is all this then?
It all sounds quite complicated writing this down, but once it's in place it really is fine and as I said first point of call is your mart. They will keep you right and, before you know it, you will have your own beast coming into your shop.

Anything else?
I would add not all butchers can handle a whole beast. It all depends on what your trade is, but if you've been thinking about it give it a try, it's the one thing supermarkets can't do yet!! If anyone is interested in even just coming down to St Boswells to get a feel of it I would be more than happy to let them see what I do (if that's any help!). I know how busy people are, maybe it's something someone else in the family/business could be doing?