Celebrating Our Beef Farmers: A Special Visit to Cranstons

We were delighted to recently welcome several of our longstanding beef farmers and their families — The Dickinsons from Canonbie; The Dodgsons from Kendal; The Skeltons from Dearham; The Robsons from Hexham; The Bells from Penrith; The Dickinsons from Askham; and Michael Bowe, who buys our lambs at auction — for a special behind-the-scenes visit to Cranstons.

The visit began with a full factory tour led by Master Butcher and Butchery Excellence Lead Julian Nattrass and Master Butcher & Meat Buyer Stephen Hinett. They walked the group through each stage of our process, highlighting the care, craftsmanship, and time that goes into preparing the quality beef our customers enjoy.

A stop in our dry-aging chiller was a real highlight, with farmers delighted to see their own cattle being matured with such attention. Julian and Stephen then continued the tour in our Cumbrian Food Hall, sharing insights into traditional butchery techniques and how we present their produce to customers.

Everyone then gathered upstairs at Café Oswalds, where Hagen Moss, Product Developer, had prepared a hearty lunch featuring rare roast beef sandwiches made with the farmers’ own beef, alongside a selection of freshly made sides and treats. Farmers and Cranstons team members sat and ate together – a lovely moment that really captured the spirit of partnership and shared pride in great local food.

Before heading home, guests were given a Cranstons goodie bag with sirloin steaks crafted from their own beef, along with our handmade topside and cheddar burgers.

Reflecting on the day, Stephen said:

“It was a real privilege to bring our farmers into the heart of what we do. Their cattle are raised with such care, and visits like this help show how that quality is respected all the way through our process – from dry-aging to the counter. Being able to sit down together over a meal made with their own beef was something special. We’re proud of the relationships we’ve built, and it’s those partnerships that allow us to offer customers the exceptional meat they expect from Cranstons.”

Farmer Anthony Skelton shared similar sentiments:

“The visit to Cranstons was brilliant. Just to see firsthand the whole process the team at Cranstons go through to produce every single item they sell to its absolute best. They treat everything that is presented to their customers with the care, expertise, and first-class skill we expected and much, much more”

We’d like to thank all the farmers and their families for joining us. Days like this remind us how important these collaborations are – and how fortunate we are to work with such dedicated people.