Walter Rose Rubber-stamps Its Sustainability Status in Joining the Sustainable Restaurant Association

Sustainably raised meat is very important to Walter Rose & Son; it has a far superior taste and is produced without destroying the environment or threatening public health. Its sale by the award-winning butchers supports responsible farmers who choose to use sound agricultural practices. Walter Rose are delighted to work with the very best local farmers, minimising food miles, with sustainability being at the heart of everything they do.

Director Jack Cook Said

“Our catering and retail customers care about the provenance of their meat.  We have used the same suppliers for the last forty years and do so because they pride themselves on being sustainable and putting animal welfare first.  This has always been the case, but now we are able to use the SRA as a platform to let everybody know that we are a genuinely sustainability-conscious, top-quality catering butcher who are really doing our bit to minimise waste and protect the environment.”

Walter Rose and Son sources pork from award-winning Cameron and Muriel Naughton based at Bishops Cannings near Devizes. Cameron grows his own wheat and barley to feed his 500-strong herd of sows.  He also grows oilseed rape which is sold to make oil and margarine.  The Naughtons then buy back the ‘rape meal’ as this is a great addition to pig food.  All straw from the crops is used for bedding the pigs and co-products such as yoghurt-washings and yeast from the dairy and brewery industries are used in the pigs’ nutrition.  Walter Rose pay a premium to the Naughtons to get the pick of the herd, ensuring quality and consistency for their customers.

Cameron said

“All the ‘good stuff’ from the back end of the pig goes back out onto the land, reducing the need for chemical fertilizer.  I am delighted that Walter Rose has joined the Sustainable Restaurant Association as we work our utmost with our crops, paddock rotation and animal welfare, across our 720-acre farm to be as sustainable as we possibly can.”

Tim Johnson of Stokes Marsh farm supplies Walter Rose & Son with beef.  Tim prides himself on giving his cattle the best possible quality of life, which in turn, produces the best quality beef.  Tim prides himself on the fact that everything fed to the cattle is grown on his farm.  Like Cameron, Tim is in very close proximity to both the abattoir (just six miles as the crow flies) and to Walter Rose & Son – This minimises food miles and in turn, stress for the cattle.

Tim said

“My cattle live outside for their entire life, they only come inside in the bad weather.  We are in the process of phasing-out fertilizer for 2019 which is a great move by us to become an even more sustainable farm.  I hate waste and whole-heartedly welcome any move to join together and minimise waste for the greater good.”

Not only are Walter Rose and Son buying meat from sustainable farms, they are also doing their bit back at the cutting plant and butchers shop in Devizes to ensure they are being as sustainable as possible.

All the heat from the commercial refrigeration system is used to heat water for the whole premises. The fleet of twenty-five refrigerated vans are all classed as ‘clean diesels’ with the addition of ‘AdBlue’ solution which combines with exhaust emissions. This minimises harmful emissions in line with government regulations. Walter Rose also uses biodegradable Woolcool in cardboard meat boxes, delivered on a national level to retail customers all over the UK.  Woolcool liners are produced using 100% pure wool and are reusable, recyclable and sustainable.  Our plastic meat crates are constantly reused and we charge for missing crates; This encourages customers to return them when we deliver to them next.

The arrival of a new Pergal dispenser in the shop and implementation of a ‘Real Milk Campaign’, where customers buy a refillable glass bottle for delicious organic Guernsey cow’s milk from Berkley Farm, has proved a real hit.  Organic milk has huge health benefits as organic dairy farmers do not use pesticides or fertilisers and are heavily restricted on their use of cattle hormones and antibiotics.

Berkley Farm in nearby Wroughton, uses traditional methods of milk processing which focus on taste rather than convenience.  Berkley Farm pasteurises its milk but does not homogenise like most dairies. Homogenisation breaks down the milk fats which affects the taste and increased fat absorption.

The move to join the Sustainable Restaurant Association rubber-stamps Walter Rose’s status as a sustainable meat supplier not only to more Michelin-starred chefs that any other butcher in the country, but to top chefs across the restaurant, hotel and gastropub sector who really care about serving top quality food with perfectly sustainable provenance to their customers.

Any chef looking to source a new butcher with sustainable ethics should contact Jack Cook on 01380 731058 or email jack@walterroseandson.co.uk.