Glenarm Shorthorn Beef | Exclusive to Fortnum's
Every piece of gorgeous Glenarm Beef at Fortnum's starts its journey on the eponymous Glenarm Castle Estate in Northern Ireland, where free-roaming Shorthorns chew through lush meadows. Not just any old meadows either, but ones rich with a secret clover that gives this award-winning beef an extra sweetness.
Next, it's on to the perfectly controlled maturing process, where the meat is left to dry-age over a patient four-week period in Glenarm’s authentic salt chamber – the only one of its type in the world – where a delicious sort of alchemy takes place.
Made from a thousand hand-cut bricks of pink salt from the Himalayan foothills – the purest salt known to man – the chamber’s rarefied atmosphere purifies the air, ionises the meat and creates beef that’s sweet, tender, beautifully marbled, and since 2013, sold exclusively at Fortnum's.
Over the past 15 years, Glenarm's journey to produce the world's best beef has focused on the importance of farming for flavour. Alongside their ongoing quest to produce exceptional beef, they've also focused much of their energy on sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming practices.
Choosing an old traditional breed like Shorthorn – developed in the 18th century for its high marbling content and quality – was Glenarm's first step in moving away from intensely farming Continental breeds. The benefits were almost immediate: for the cows, the farmers, and the quality of the beef itself.
Indeed, by changing their approach, the overall size of their cows decreased by 25%, which not only reduced the animal’s intake requirements, but made them more environmentally-friendly on the land.
"In today's world, where climate change and environmental sustainability are of increasing concern, old traditional breeds like Shorthorn have an essential role to play," says Glenarm's managing director, Adrian Morrow.
"By producing healthier quality meat that is a delight to eat while reducing greenhouse gases and carbon footprint, we are paving the way for a sustainable future. The current trend is to eat less beef, so it’s important when our customers eat beef, they eat good beef: like our amazing Glenarm Shorthorn."
Among a plethora of prestigious awards over the past ten years, Glenarm Shorthorn Beef is a 10-time Gold award recipient at the World Steak Challenge, a 12-time Triple Gold Star recipient at the Great Taste Awards, and in 2016, the same awards voted it their Supreme Champion, from more than 10,000 food and beverage products.
No wonder it's frequently compared to (and frequently enjoyed alongside) a fine wine.
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