York Ham – The King of Hams
There are dozens, possibly hundreds of styles of ham throughout the world, ranging from the prosciutto, Serrano style hams which are sliced very thinly and served just as it is, cured but not cooked, to the Wiltshire or Country hams which are cooked and served hot or cold. All the hams were created for the […]
Behind the Scenes at Lishmans: Why We Did It
Recently we have discovered a new more modern way of getting our message across to the people. We are busy butchers; making pies, producing sausage, curing bacon and hams, and many other things beside which we are particularly proud of. Because of the layout of our shop in this Victorian terrace, much of what we […]
The Joys of Spring Lamb
When I first came to butchery on leaving school in the early 80’s, the first Spring Lamb was a long awaited delicacy which didn’t show itself until the Easter period. Last year’s lamb had all but dried up around Christmas time, and what was left, the hogget as it would now be called, was considered […]
A Salumi Tour of Tuscany
Any fool can know. The point is to understand – Albert Einstein I have read all the books on the science of salami making and cured meat preserving. I have practiced it to quite a degree too. But it’s not until you meet the fathers, sons and families whose lives revolve round it and has […]
Christmas Time on the Farm
Being the son of a farmer, growing up in the late 60′s and 70′s, Christmas was, and still remains a hugely busy time of year for me. My mother, (it was the domain of the farmer’s wife) reared and fattened turkeys, chickens and geese to sell at the farm gate for the festive period. It […]
The Glories of Highland Cattle
Highland Cattle. What are they? These shaggy coated long horned cattle thrive on the rough pasture and hillsides of their native Scotland. Probably the most handsome of all cattle breeds, they produce wonderfully flavoured beef with a marbling of fat, synonymous with many British breeds, which naturally bastes the meat whilst it cooks, enhancing the […]
The Great Horsemeat Scandal
What a crazy few weeks we have seen in the meat industry with horsemeat in manufactured products in supermarkets. No doubt this will have reached the institutions – schools, hospitals, canteens, nursing homes etc – as well. I am a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, an old established organisation, set up around 1000 […]
Flying Food Trip to Edinburgh
I find Edinburgh to be a marvellous place to visit. It has history, it’s cosmopolitan, and is the home to some really great food places which are run by people who are passionate about their trades and crafts A recent trip there on a food fact finding mission confirmed this to me. Two of the […]
