The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on November 08, 2015, 03:09:19 pm
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hi there ive seen a few post from people who sell these
sorry if there is already a post
just trying to do some reasearch and any replies i get will go into spreadsheet so i can get some averages
o what i am askins is:
for arguments sake its 10kg box
what area are you?
what cattle do you have?
what cuts of meat do you put in the box (joints/steak/burgers etc)
what price do you look to acheive per box
butcher/slaughter costs?
if i get some reults in i will post the spreadsheet back up for all to see
if you dont feel comfortable in posting anything thats not a problem
many thanks
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My butchery/slaughter costs, including vac-packing and putting in the boxes (boxes supplied by me) were £300 all in.
I asked the butcher to put the following, to add up to 10kgs, in each box:
- 1 roasting joint
- 1 slow-roasting or braising joint
- some steaks
- some stewing steak (diced)
- some mince
- some burgers
He ended up doing joints about 1.5 to 2kgs, all the other packs were approx. 1kg. (9 burgers made 1kg, 4 steaks.) So far no-one has complained (quite the reverse) but when I do my next one I may get some requests for slight variations in content, of course. One of my customers had no burgers and extra mince, as she needed gluten free.
Working this way worked well, we got 8 boxes comfortably, another box where a few substitutions had to be made (which was for my family, so no problem), and about 26kgs over which was my share.
This was a Jersey heifer, unsuitable for breeding. Deadweight 193kgs at slaughter, grade -O3.
I charged £10/kg plus packaging, with a bit of discount for friends.
All the packaging was new, I didn't let people bring their own because it made it too complicated for the butcher. Good packaging isn't cheap, and it costs a bit to deliver. If you can store boxes you can order in bulk and it'll come out cheaper. For me, it added £6.31 for a customer who was coming to me or the butcher to collect, add a further £1 for the cardboard outer for a couriered box. Packaging included chiller strips - the ones you wet and freeze yourself.
I was pleased and surprised at the number of customers who were happy to pay to have a 10kg box couriered to them. So I didn't need to find all my customers locally, or prepared to drive to me or a convenient rendezvous.
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I found it very difficult to shift boxes of beef - I did well on the mixed boxes but the majority of everyday people do not want to spend nearly £200 on just beef and you have to know your market. We live in SE Wales not very foodie and absolutely surrounded with supermarkets. We did 12kg boxes. Where I lost trade was people wanting to chose the cuts - lots of people just want steaks and mince. They do not want slow roast joints - yes there are some but you need to work out a Value box and a prime box.
I found it very time consuming and hard graft. Bought a little refrigerated van. You would spend evening driving around, you end up popping into the house, an hour later back out and some people werent in!!!
The butchery was the biggest let down - if your not over seeing it then you can get the rustic cutting and it has to be vac packed. The sizes of the joints needs to be right - some want large joints some was tiny.
APC is the only company I know that will take fresh meat.
If we are to go back into this I would recommend -
Having a good fat beast you need fat and marbelling
You need to have a USP - ie pasture fed, organic, slow great marketing, Web page & FB page, leaflets and be open to visitors.
Close to an abattoir
Abattoir that delivers otherwise you are having to do a lot of road miles - you must have refrigeration
Having a cutting room and using a traditional butcher who really knows his stuff. Vac pack, need to get super deep freeze labels and a machine. (labels must not slide off)
Great boxes (more expense and storage)
Facility to super freeze cuts not sold - legally additional labelling
Take deposits!!! People say they will have it and when you call change their minds or come up with excuses - Paypal etc may be an option.
It needs to be good. Reputation is paramount. Going at it halved cocked is no good people will spread bad feedback.
There are plenty of great web pages take ideas off there.
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We plan only to do one or two steers a year and we did our first in July. Please see my thread on page 2 "Finally what it's all about". We had no difficulty selling - could have sold twice as much. Facebook, my husband's work, friends, neighbours and of course family. I suppose if you plan to do say one a month you would really need a farm shop set up.