UNITED KINGDOM.
VEAL BACK ON THE MENU.
The city of London used to consume more veal than the rest of England put together, for the first 80 years of the last century.
Every pub would have veal and ham pies, made in the same mould as the pork pies.
The French and Italians always had an appetite for milk fed intensive white veal, while the Dutch perfected the way of fattening the calves.
The dairy farmers always had a problem with the bull calves, from Channel Island cows and the Ayrshires and later Holsteins, as they would never have the conformation for beef cattle.The Friesians however could be fattened into good cattle, either as young bulls or steers or taken on to 3 year old heavy steers.
In recent years live bobby calves, have been exported live to Europe for finishing, much to the alarm of the RSPCA and animal rights activists. Marks and Spencers, are now going to promote veal cuts in their stores, assisting their milk producers by taking the unwanted bull calves.
This new marketing scheme with veal, has the blessing of the RSPCA. Holstein bull calves, the main dairy breed today, have the same conformation problems as the mentioned dairy cattle, no hindquarter for beef yet perfect for veal.
Smithfield Meat Market in London, used to sell 1500 calves every morning, in years gone by. The clock has gone full circle.
