East of England Agricultural Society purchases champion steer
The East of England Agricultural Society has purchased the Supreme Champion from the recent Northampton Christmas Primestock Club at the Thrapston Livestock Centre, for their Food Direct from the Farm scheme,
The steer, a 550kg Limousin cross, was bought from Kevin Ludgate of Kebworth. Mr Ludgate is also a member of the East of England Agricultural Society. The bidding at the auction was successfully carried out by the Society's Chairman, Mr Mike Martin.
The steer will be slaughtered, hung for three weeks and butchered, and the meat will be transformed into mouth-watering meals by the catering staff at the East of England Showground.
The Food Direct from the Farm scheme was first launched two years ago to promote British agriculture by sourcing all the meat, eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables used within the Showground's catering operations from member farmers of the East of England Agricultural Society, as well as from local, regional and national suppliers.
The scheme covers all the catering done on the Showground, including the conferences and events facilities and the shows themselves. This provision was enhanced last year, with the launch of the new state of the art mobile outdoor kitchen.
The Showground is undergoing exciting expansion this year, with the development of a new exhibition centre and so the catering operations will continue to grow.
Chief Executive of the East of England Agricultural Society, Andrew Mercer, said: "We are delighted to have been successful in purchasing this beast for the Showground. We are going to be able to provide our chefs with the freshest and highest quality meat available. And I know they will relish the opportunity to turn it into some delicious meals.
"Our Food Direct from the Farm scheme promotes British agriculture, and we are passionate about supporting local farmers. The purchase of this steer is a fantastic example of how we buy local to help the local economy, while helping to reduce the food miles the produce we use take."
