There are many things we are proud of at Aubrey Allen. The number of staff who have been with us for more than 20 years, Our ever-increasing commitment to sustainability. Our epic Summer Team BBQ. But the quality of the beef we supply to our customers is right up there.
Did you know that only 4 in 100 beef cattle in the UK reach the Aubrey Allen grade for eating quality? That’s why we receive comments like ‘your beef blew them away’ (Bleecker Burger, National Burger of The Year Awards, 2020) and ‘the best piece of steak I ever tasted!’ (a customer at Oscar’s French Steakhouse & Bistro, 2021).
Here’s a brief guide to how we make sure we’re only serving you the best:
- Time – not just the days spent maturing in our state of the art dry-ageing chambers, it is crucial to select beef that is at least 18 months old so that flavour has fully developed.
50% of beef sold in this country is from old dairy cows finished at under 14 months. The result? Bred for milk, these cows cannot put on the fat that makes great beef so delicious. The meat can be pale in colour and soft to touch when raw. Nowhere near the quality we look for. - Carcasses at abattoirs are rated via a classification system producing 56 different classifications which vary hugely in levels of quality. That’s 56 different levels of quality BEFORE you even consider geographical rearing, specific breeds and dry ageing, each of which bring their own extra level of specification.
We source pure grass fed cattle selected to one grade and one consistency. - Our grass fed beef is selected only from beef suckler herds, able to take milk from their mothers and run with their family in a stress-free environment.
- We have always believed in sourcing from natural areas of most outstanding beauty that the British Isles can afford -> far from pollution, with lush grass and plentiful drinking water.
- Carcasses are purchased whole to retain consistency. Our butchers then carefully craft a huge range of cuts from each carcass.
So we’ve selected the best of the best cattle, now it’s time to increase tenderness and flavour in our maturation chambers.
Meat Scientist, Professor Chris Caulkin (founder of the flat-iron steak, you have to try one!) declared our beef ‘the best example of dry-ageing in the world’.
We mature beef in the time-honoured way; on the bone in five scientifically structured dry-ageing chambers where space, air flow and humidity are at optimum levels.
All that’s left is the taste test. The first taste of that deep beefy flavour and juiciness, with an after taste that keeps you going back for another bite – that’s when we know we’ve got it right.
Quality takes time and great food should never be rushed. The result of our strict selection process has been to achieve what we set out to do, producing excellence as standard.
