Why British Beef Costs More Than You Think: The True Cost of Farming
One of the questions we get asked quite a lot is why British beef costs more than some of the imported beef you'll find in supermarkets.
It's a fair question.
Most people don't spend their time thinking about where their food comes from, and unless you work in farming, it's difficult to know what actually goes into producing it.
We thought we'd explain it.
It all starts long before the beef reaches your plate
Beef isn't something that's produced in a few weeks.
From the day cattle arrive on the farm until the day the beef is ready to be sold, we're talking about many months of looking after them every single day.
They need feeding.
Fresh water.
Fields checking.
Fences repairing.
Health checks.
Housing when the weather turns.
It doesn't matter if it's Sunday morning, Christmas Day or you've got other plans. The cattle still need looking after.
That's just part of farming.
Grass isn't free
One thing people often say is, "Well they're just eating grass."
We'd love it if it was that simple.
The grass has to grow, fields have to be maintained, fencing has to be repaired and when winter comes the cattle need forage and additional feed.
Feed prices have changed massively over the last few years, and they're only one part of the picture.
Then there are all the costs nobody sees
Most of the money spent on a farm isn't obvious.
It's diesel.
Machinery repairs.
Veterinary bills.
Insurance.
Bedding.
Electricity.
Buildings that always seem to need another repair.
Water.
Transport.
It sometimes feels like every week there's another invoice landing on the kitchen table.
Looking after animals properly isn't the cheap option
One thing we won't compromise on is how animals are cared for.
Good welfare isn't about ticking boxes.
Healthy, calm cattle are simply better to look after, and it's the right thing to do.
If an animal needs attention, it gets attention.
Simple as that.
Farming has always been about reinvesting
There's a saying that if you've made money farming, you probably need to spend it on something that's broken.
Sometimes that feels surprisingly accurate.
Machinery wears out.
Buildings get older.
Fences fall down.
Water pipes burst.
Every year there's something that needs replacing or improving.
It's part of keeping a farm running for the long term.
Why buying British matters
When you buy British beef, you're supporting far more than one farmer.
You're supporting local vets.
Hauliers.
Feed merchants.
Machinery dealers.
Abattoirs.
Contractors.
Small rural businesses that all rely on each other.
A lot of people don't realise how connected the farming industry really is.
Why we sell directly from Flatts Farm
Selling beef directly means people know exactly where it's come from.
You know the farm.
You know who has looked after the cattle.
You know there isn't a long chain of middlemen between us and your freezer.
We like that.
It feels more personal.
It's not about being the cheapest
We're never going to compete with the very cheapest beef on the shelf.
That's not what we're trying to do.
We'd rather produce beef we're genuinely proud of and be honest about what goes into it.
If someone buys from Flatts Farm, we want them to know exactly where their food has come from and feel confident about what they're feeding their family.
Our view
We're a small family farm in the Yorkshire Dales trying to build a business that will still be here in years to come.
That means looking after our cattle properly, looking after the land and being honest with the people who buy from us.
British farming isn't always easy, and there are certainly cheaper ways to produce food.
But for us, doing things properly has always felt like the better option.