Lincolnshire Quality steaks come out on top

Meat produced locally by Hemingby farmer Michael Read has been judged as some of the best in the world after scooping a prestigious prize.

Steak from the farmer’s Lincoln Red cattle won a silver medal in the World Steak Challenge when it was entered by Lincolnshire Co-op butchers.

The Society’s Butchery Warehouse Manager Dave Chown handed over some of the winning steaks to Mr Read to congratulate him on his prize-winning meat.

His farm is part of the Lincolnshire Quality scheme through which local meat is sold in Lincolnshire Co-op food stores.

The winning steak came from a Lincoln Red cow, and Michael says it’s some of the tastiest meat that Lincolnshire has to offer.

“Any steak has got to have marbling, which is tiny little sinews of fat in the meat. As you cook it it keeps the meat lovely and moist, and the fat disappears when it’s cooked,” he says.

“It’s essential for good steak and Lincoln Red has a lovely taste as well, I always pride myself on the fact that if I eat a steak, I could tell you if it’s Lincoln Red or not.”

Lincolnshire Quality meat is all born and reared in Lincolnshire and the range includes everything from joints of meat to sausages, burgers and meatballs.

Michael says that the partnership has been invaluable to him: “We deliberately didn’t get involved with a large supermarket chain, we thought Lincolnshire Co-op was an ideal size and it’s worked really well over the years.”