Stroud Times sat down with well-known local butcher Paul Dowdeswell of Country Quality Meat, Nailsworth, to talk sourcing, tradition, and the secrets behind a great cut.
Paul began his butchery career at 17 as a trainee at Keymarkets supermarket in Stroud. More than three decades on, his skill, passion, and nose-to-tail ethos have made him one of the most trusted names for quality meat in the Stroud valleys.
Q1: Can you tell me about the farm your pork, chicken, lamb, and beef comes from?
Paul: Our beef, lamb, and pork are sourced and slaughtered locally by PJ King & Son at Whaddon, Gloucester. Our chickens now come from Highbury Farm in Shropshire — our original supplier in Newent stopped serving small shops after being bought out.
Q2: Is your pork and chicken free-range?
Paul: We always try to source free range whenever we can. The only challenge has been poultry — with bird flu restrictions in recent years, there are times when it hasn’t been possible.
Q3: Is your beef grass-fed?
Paul: Yes. John King and his son Edward source our beef, and I’m assured it’s grass-fed.
Q4: Do you sell British rose veal?
Paul: We do, but not all the time. We source ethical rose veal from PJ King, usually just two or three times a year. Whenever we have it, we let customers know on our Facebook page.
Q5: Do you make your own bacon, sausages, or burgers?
Paul: Absolutely. We make all our own sausages, burgers, and bacon. Nearly all of our sausages are gluten-free — our seasoning supplier uses pea flakes instead of rusk. We make beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and venison burgers, some of which are also gluten-free.
Our bacon is dry-cured in-house, oak-smoked for 12 hours, and sliced to a traditional “number 8” thickness. We sell short back rindless, while middle and streaky cuts keep the rind on.
Q6: What’s the difference between rib and spare rib?
Paul: Spare rib comes from the shoulder blade — it’s meat taken from the spine, a continuation of the loin before the head. It’s not as meaty, but runs all the way down to the belly.
Q7: What cuts are best for smoking or grilling?
Paul: For smoking, slower cuts work best — brisket for beef, and belly or shoulder for pork. You can also smoke chicken, duck, turkey, or game birds. For grilling, it’s all about steaks, pork and lamb chops, bacon, and gammon steaks.
Q8: What cut gives the most bang for your buck?
Paul: Venison steak — it’s lean, full of flavour, and about half the price of beef or lamb. If you want something different, hanger steak or ox/beef cheek are excellent value and taste incredible when cooked properly.
We always have a wide range in stock, and our daily specials go up on the blackboard outside the shop, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
