20 October 2010

3 minute read

Europe

The move makes Sainsbury's the biggest retailer of premium beef matured in the traditional way, dry aging on the bone, for better flavour and more tender meat.

The new Taste the Difference Beef encompasses all of the great things a piece of quality beef should be: tender, flavoursome and succulent. It also embodies Sainsbury's Taste the Difference unique values and integrity: 100 per cent British cattle from recognised beef breeds; a grass-based diet; and traditional extensive farming practices where the animals roam on pasture in good weather and in straw bedded barns in poor weather. The beef is selected from cattle from recognised beef breeds and less than 30 months of age.

Tom Harvey, Sainsbury's beef buyer said: "Drawing on traditional butchery practice all Taste the Difference Beef is dry-aged on the bone to deliver the most tender and flavoursome meat. Sainsbury's is the only retailer to produce beef from this small-scale method and adapt it to achieve large-scale, mass market results. During maturation the beef is hung in a carefully controlled refrigerated environment, containing just the right amount of moisture in the air."

Not only is the dry-ageing process of utmost importance to deliver flavour, the packaging in which it is presented also improves the tenderness. Once matured the beef is cut and packed in ‘state-of-the-art' vacuum packs to lock in the flavour and ensure the meat continues to mature producing the most tender eating quality.

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Traditional Beef is matured for a minimum of 14 days, of which 7 - 10 days is dry-aged on the bone guaranteeing outstanding flavour and tenderness. The cuts are also left with a degree of natural fat which enhances the flavour during cooking.

Mr Harvey said: "Almost twenty percent of our beef sales is Taste the Difference reflecting our customers passion for quality beef. Our improved range of dry-aged beef will satisfy their taste for top quality tender and flavoursome British beef and no doubt encourage more customers to try our traditional produced beef."

Sainsbury's is advising customers not to be 'concerned' by the colour of the meat when they see it in the packaging. By removing all the air and locking in the freshness the packaging makes the meat appear much darker but as soon as it is removed from the pack it returns, or blooms, to its normal bright red colour.

Mr Harvey said: "First-time customers need not be concerned by the dark appearance of our Taste the Difference Beef in the vacuum pack as they will see it return to bright red as soon as they open the pack and be rewarded by the wonderfully tender, juicy and flavoursome meat."

The retail giant has re-launched its entire Taste the Difference range of 1,200 premium products with over 300 new lines. Ten years after its groundbreaking launch Sainsbury's has reviewed every single product going back to basics with its recipes using traditional cooking methods and the highest quality ingredients to ensure everything tastes as good as it looks.

TheCattleSite News Desk