Highland beef … simply the best!
Scott Brown (Society member) and his wife Jane run ‘Capielaw Livestock’, based in Midlothian just 10 miles from the Edinburgh city centre. They have a fold of Highland cows, most of which are registered, run commercially and crossed with a Beef Shorthorn or Whitebred Shorthorn Bull.
The end game for their product is to produce bulling heifers which are sold at Oban in October. The bullocks are finished off grass and all go into a craft butchers in Edinburgh. The cattle are reared on a low-cost, grass-based production system, and the finishing bullocks are regeneratively grazed and finished off a herb, grass and clover sward during the summer months, finishing between 24 and 28 months of age.
In October of 2021, they purchased some replacement Highland females at the collective sale at Oban, one of which was a heifer from Achnacloich called Dosan Og 94th of Achnacloich. She was sired by Eion Mhor 14th of Mottistone and scanned in calf to Exception of Ballimore. The result of this mating was a bullock calf which was reared on a 100% grass-based diet and killed at 29 months, three weeks and four days old! He was a 288kg carcass which graded a 0+3L and his destination was Mathiesons Craft Butchers in Edinburgh.
Mathiesons is a butcher's business based on the south side of Edinburgh which has been trading since 1880. They have purchased all the cattle finished by Scott and Jane since 2021.
Gus Kirk is the owner of Mathiesons and commented: "There are any amounts of cattle available to us, many of which are finished inside intensively on a cereal diet and it doesn't really float our boat, as there is very little marbling through the beef. When we get the opportunity, we source top quality native bred cattle which are grass fed and finished.
“Scott and Jane's cattle are reared and finished just six miles from our shop, and I feel it's our responsibility to support local farmers whilst providing our community with this amazing dark well marbled beef. It’s full of flavour and has a nice cover of fat, just everything we want to display on our counter.
“When you cut a steak off this particular Highland bullock, it puts a huge smile on your face as you witness the quality of the beef, that dark colour and the lovely marbling throughout.”
I've known Scott and Jane for many years, and in my opinion, Scott is one of our country's most diligent and skilled stockmen in Scotland. When Scott approached me five years ago, I visited his farm, and still do, to inspect the livestock. The fact that the animals spend their life grazing lush grass, stress free, in a calm environment under the best of care, makes this for a very attractive proposition to serve up to our customers."
We asked Paul Sorrie, the butchery manager, for some feedback on the Achnacloich-bred Highland steer which he has just taken delivery of. He told us:
"In my 25 years of butchering it's always an absolute privilege to be working with Highland beef. I have worked with many breeds and types of beef over the years and Highland beef is really second to none.
“When you cut a steak off this particular Highland bullock, it puts a huge smile on your face as you witness the quality of the beef, that dark colour and the lovely marbling throughout. “We also have a great farm to fork story to share with our customers of sustainable and responsibly sourced beef from a farm just six miles away, which is reared and finished off grass to provide that amazing eating experience.
“When Scott and Jane's cattle are coming into the shop, they are very often sold out before they hit the counter such is the reputation and the quality of the beef.
“I can safely say that, so long as Scott and Jane are working with grass fed Highland Cattle, then I know we are committed to working with them for years to come."
