The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Fenlander on March 14, 2012, 04:17:38 pm

Title: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: Fenlander on March 14, 2012, 04:17:38 pm
Hi,
 
I am investigating the feasibility of setting up a meat cutting plant
on our farm in Central England. We have barns that would be suitable
for conversion and I have a very good butcher who is taking early
retirement from his f/t job soon.
 
I believe that the long-term success of conservation grazing schemes
relies on them becoming more financially viable and therefore more
thought to the end product needs to be given.
 
I have two questions to ponder:
 
1. Where do people currently get their carcasses processed? Are you
happy with the service? What improvements could be made?
 
2. Would there be a market amongst conservation graziers, smallholders
and other smaller producers for a service which collected your
carcasses from the abattoir, hung them as appropriate, butchered and
packed them to your specifications and then delivered them back to you/
your customers?
 
Any thoughts, experiences, or comments would be very useful. It's
early days yet and it might not get off the ground.
 
Many thanks
 
Jonathan Preston
Haws Hill Rural Services
07890025266
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: robert waddell on March 14, 2012, 04:44:56 pm
since you have posted in the pig section i am assuming you are referring to pigs
a meat processing plant is not cheap to establish usually in the region of £20-£30 thousand then all your compliance with environmental health issues
the area you are in is there another plant like what you are proposing already established and is it viable
it is not just the initial cost of set up there is the daily running costs and changes to the rates on these buildings
conservation grazing by pigs that can only take place in a woodland setting and only to fertilise the area and prevent a weed infestation
the service that you are proposing could be prohibitively expensive and further reduce the proffit margin that is there
you will have investigated all the pros and cons already and done costings at all stages of your new venture before asking on here :farmer:
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: HappyHippy on March 15, 2012, 08:21:00 am
I have two questions to ponder:
 
1. Where do people currently get their carcasses processed? Are you
happy with the service? What improvements could be made?
 
2. Would there be a market amongst conservation graziers, smallholders
and other smaller producers for a service which collected your
carcasses from the abattoir, hung them as appropriate, butchered and
packed them to your specifications and then delivered them back to you/
your customers?
 

I'm way out of your demographic (being all the way up in Scotland) but we currently have a really good butcher who collects our carcasses and butchers them to my requirements (and I'm really picky  ;))
This costs us 70p per kilo, based on the deadweight and slaughter charges are around £20.
There's a local farm shop with cutting area like you describe - they charge £1.30 a kilo, I don't know if they are any good because at almost twice the price of a service I'm currently very happy with I've never needed to use them.
I think you'll really need to look at supply/demand in your local area and see what sort of prices/services the butchers and cutting plants at the abattoirs currently offer - if they're busy and can't cope with demand, ask local smallholding groups if there's a gap in the market you could fill. It might not cost quite as much as £30K to convert and put into place but it certainly won't be cheap, so well worth doing lots of number crunching and scouting for good quality second hand equipment.
Good luck
Karen
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: Fowgill Farm on March 15, 2012, 09:42:40 am
I take it you're looking at something along the lines of Laverstoke Park (see practical pigs magazine latest copy).
As all have said before its really knowing your market and what is currently available in your area already. If people are having to travel an hour to get their animals slaughtered & butchered there may be some scope for a more local set up, but ifs theres a unit 2 minutes down the road already doing the same basically you're stuffed unless you can offer something unique, most people unfortunately do go on price. I know personally i do pay more than most for my slaughter & butchering but i am extremely happy with the service & quality i get, there are cheaper places locally but generally you pays for what you gets!! ::)
THis will be a major investment for you so i can see that you are investigating it thoroughly which in current economic climate is wise.
HTH
Mandy  :pig:
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: Fenlander on March 15, 2012, 09:07:27 pm
Thanks for your valuable input - it is much appreciated  :)

Not specifically pigs - that's what we have but it could apply to any stock.

I will let you know how the project develops.

Jonathan 
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: benkt on March 15, 2012, 10:04:53 pm
One thing I'd say, is the 'delivering to you/your customers' would be a draw for me. We're very happy with our butcher for several reasons, but one of the big ones is that he collects the carcass, and then allows my members (we're a community farm) to collect direct from him. This saves me the hassle and expense of keeping refrigeration units at my place and having so sort out all the tedious food safety certificates etc. as I never handle the food!
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: Blonde on March 18, 2012, 09:56:21 am
Hi,
 
I am investigating the feasibility of setting up a meat cutting plant
on our farm in Central England. We have barns that would be suitable
for conversion and I have a very good butcher who is taking early
retirement from his f/t job soon.
 
I believe that the long-term success of conservation grazing schemes
relies on them becoming more financially viable and therefore more
thought to the end product needs to be given.
 
I have two questions to ponder:
 
1. Where do people currently get their carcasses processed? Are you
happy with the service? What improvements could be made?
 
2. Would there be a market amongst conservation graziers, smallholders
and other smaller producers for a service which collected your
carcasses from the abattoir, hung them as appropriate, butchered and
packed them to your specifications and then delivered them back to you/
your customers?
 
Any thoughts, experiences, or comments would be very useful. It's
early days yet and it might not get off the ground.
 
Many thanks
 
Jonathan Preston
Haws Hill Rural Services
07890025266
The closer the abattoir the better for the animal.  It is stressful to put a pig on a truck or a trailer and tow it miles.  The pig also loses around 2 kg in its travels.   So I hope that all who live close by use your premises to get their pigs  slaughtered.
Title: Re: Setting up a licenced meat processing plant - Worcestershire
Post by: robert waddell on March 18, 2012, 11:16:26 am
blonde you have misinterprited the post  it is a cutting plant not a slaughter house     a slaughter house costs millions  and hundreds of thousands to opperate :farmer: