A new nationwide initiative is bringing Britain’s rare-breed beef back to restaurant tables — linking farmers and chefs in a drive to revive native livestock and sustainable food production.
The project, launched by conservation charity Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) and award-winning restaurant group Hawksmoor, marks a major step forward for the country’s native cattle breeds.
The initiative aims to create direct supply routes between farms that rear them and restaurants eager to showcase their exceptional produce.
It will see farms with herds of rare native cattle selected to supply premium cuts such as T-bone, Porterhouse and Prime Rib for restaurant menus across the UK and Ireland.
The beef will feature in weekly specials and form a centrepiece at a forthcoming London restaurant due to open later this year.
RBST chief executive Christopher Price said the scheme will give diners the chance to experience the outstanding flavour and texture of native-breed beef while helping to secure the future of traditional British livestock.
Native cattle, he noted, are “perfectly adapted to UK conditions” and play an essential role in “conservation grazing that supports natural biodiversity.”
Breeds such as the Gloucester, British White, and Whitebred Shorthorn — once common on farms nationwide — have become increasingly rare, and the project aims to restore them to the heart of British agriculture.
A strong and consistent market for their produce is key to ensuring more farms can keep these breeds, Price said, adding that the quality of the beef itself demonstrates why native livestock deserve renewed attention.
Hawksmoor co-founder Huw Gott said the concept turns conservation into action: “It might seem counter-intuitive, but the best way to help these beautiful old breeds survive is to eat their beef.
By choosing it, we’re backing the farmers who rear them slowly, responsibly and sustainably — and helping to ensure these magnificent animals remain part of our countryside and our future.”
He added that the initiative was designed to prove that high standards and great taste can go hand in hand: “When every part of that chain is working at its best, the beef speaks for itself. You can genuinely taste the difference.”
The scheme is being rolled out through regional farming hubs to help connect native-breed producers directly with restaurant buyers. The first hub launches this week in south-west England, with more planned from 2026.
RBST and Hawksmoor also plan to work with farmers to find markets for the full range of cuts, ensuring rare-breed farming remains commercially viable.
