Our Meat
As a 3rd Generation family run and owned butchers based in Bristol in the south west of the UK. We are very fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most productive counties for agriculture and livestock farming in the UK.
With over 85 years worth of experience within the local and UK meat supply chain we have developed and cultivated strong links with our local farmers and suppliers.
With these longstanding and trusted relationships we supply our customers with high quality and sustainable products with the highest level of provenance and food safety that not only tastes great but helps to ensure the long term sustainability of British farming and the beautiful UK country-side. Due to popular demand for our meat boxes in recent months we have now expanded so that you can buy meat online from us. Through a secure server we can take your order and ship your box swiftly. No hassle or fuss.
For more on our currently held accreditations please click here.
Our Beef
Our beef is predominantly sourced from the west country and local farms surrounding the Bristol area. All of the beef that we produce and supply is farm assured from prime cattle which are grass fed and free to roam (when the weather allows) these are then grain finished to ensure a decent level of fat marbling, succulence and a flavour.
To assure the quality and provenance of our beef products we are independently audited by the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme and by the DEFRA led beef labelling authority giving us and our customers the traceability of each and every burger, roasting joint or steak back to the farm.
Our Lamb
Our free range UK lamb is mainly sourced from the Devon and Somerset border. Our lamb products are certified Red Tractor farm assured and come from grass fed free range UK lambs. Our in house traceability systems assure our customers provenance from farm to fork.
Our Pork
All of our Pork is UK farm assured and where possible sourced from farms local to our home in the south west of the UK. We have strong links with local pork farmers such as Cameron Naughton at West End Farm in Wiltshire who produces RSPCA approved pigs.
Our Poultry
Our poultry is predominantly sourced from UK farm assured poultry farmers. This ensures a higher welfare standard of product. Raising healthier and happier chickens that produce a superior quality meat that is reflected in the eating quality.
Our Farm assured Turkey is sourced from long standing UK Turkey farmers, we currently source from Garrets lane Farm in Essex and Valley Farm in Royston.
For Christmas our free range whole turkeys are sourced from Usk Vale poultry in South Wales.
Our Green Credentials
As a business and as part of the UK food supply chain we are continually looking at the way we work and reevaluating this to improve what we do to lessen the impact we have on the environment.
Below are examples of what we have done so far to do this.
Solar Panels
Due to the nature of our business and the temperature-controlled environment we operate we have partnered with the Bristol Energy coop to install Solar panels on our roof space to increase our usage of renewable clean energy and decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. (see below picture of our roof)
In the first year of operation the total generation of the new solar arrays was 118,500 kwh (units) of electricity, 5% above predicted. To put this in context, this is equivalent to the annual consumption of 40 average homes or the power needed to boil water for 6 million cups of tea! This represents the displacement of approximately 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide that would otherwise have gone into the atmosphere each year. It is currently looking like approximately 30% of John Sheppard Butcher’s electricity needs will be met by solar.
Plastic Usage Reduction
Use of plastic vacuum pack bags are a necessity for use within the food industry to ensure product integrity and shelf life. JSB have implemented the use of a reduced plastic vacuum pack bag which uses 10% less plastic.
This has reduced our plastic usage by 2.5 tonnes per annum.
