In the shadow of Stirling’s historic castle grazes a contented herd of pedigree Charolais cattle. This distinctive, light-coloured herd is a living trademark of Falleninch Farm. Selling top-quality meats direct from its lush fields to the customer, Falleninch Farm Butchers are this week’s Local Heroes.
Grazing in the shadow of Stirling Castle
The Charolais herd has adoring fans of all ages
The Hornall family have farmed on the carse of Stirling for more than 50 years and three generations. But they’re not only experienced farmers: with a talented team of 16 that includes finance and logistics experts as well as skilled butchers, they have transformed Falleninch Farm into a thriving direct retail business in little over a year. We spoke to Michael Campbell, their Chief Operating Officer, to learn more.
What drove the change to selling direct? “Our Managing Director Andrew Hornall had several requests from local people asking if they could buy from us – they’d heard about our reputation for quality produce and meat that we have been delivering to restaurants, caterers and hotels across central Scotland for 50 years. Andrew then got me involved in setting up the retail butcher’s operation and website which we launched in February 2014. It’s been well received, with customers coming to the farm to shop or collect orders placed online, or enjoying free delivery to their home or workplace.”
Falleninch have thought long and hard about what its customers want, and deliver the ease of supermarket buying with a lot more attention to detail. As well as building a fully stocked farm butcher’s shop that’s open six days per week, they have built a car park and new access road to make it easy for visitors to pop in to see the products on offer, chat to the butchers, and get exactly what they need. Not only that, but the staff will even carry your bags out to the car. And those who can’t make it into the shop, or live a bit further away, can order online, by phone or Facebook, and Falleninch will deliver – free if your order is over £50. And there’s click and collect too.
They’ve made great changes in a short space of time, and that takes pride and enthusiasm. “We’re proud to provide people in Stirling and central Scotland with a wide range of meat products that’s fresher, cheaper and better quality than you can find in the supermarkets – and service with a smile.” explains Michael. “We’re also very proud of our team and what they’ve achieved: it’s great to create local employment and career opportunities, and see people thrive in a growing business.”
Though Falleninch Farm Butchers also prepare and sell top quality chicken and pork, their bestsellers are beef in all its preparations – from steaks to handmade burgers, their award-winning sausages and much more. And that’s down to Managing Director Andrew Hornall’s deep knowledge of his animals and his product. As well as having spent all his life on the farm, he is a Director of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society and Vice Chairman of the British Charolais Cattle Society Ltd. In addition to various business interests, his passion is rearing pedigree Charolais cattle, like the Falleninch Herd. As a breeder and international judge of cattle, he is also skilled in sourcing the very best meat from his own farm and other carefully selected suppliers. Couple that expertise with the skills of Mark Ramsay, Head Butcher, and his dedicated team of butchers, and the farm produce a range of meats that’s difficult to beat for quality, taste, or value.
As consumers become ever more interested in what they are eating, and where it is from, Falleninch’s timing couldn’t have been better. As well as their pedigree Charolais cattle, the farm has a commercial herd of mixed breeds, including Aberdeen Angus crosses and traditional Scottish breeds like Luing. Building on the heritage of third-generation farming with a respect both for animals and the land, these cattle are grass-fed in as natural a way as possible. Michael explains more: “For the commercial cattle, we introduced an ‘extensively grazed’, or ‘New Zealand’ style system last year, where the cattle spend most of the year outdoors and are out-wintered – as far as possible. We invest in cultivating best quality, highly nutritious grass, which in turn results in healthy, happy cattle and high quality beef. This style of farming is commonplace in the southern hemisphere but not yet widespread in Britain. Our Farm Manager, Jason Hodgson, hails from New Zealand, where he spent many years raising cattle on the family farm: he has vast experience in this field – no pun intended!”
Having gained some 17,000 fans on Facebook in just 18 months, a large regular customer base, and deliveries across central Scotland, what are the goals for the future? “Keeping existing customers happy, and finding new customers who will love what we do, to continue to build our business based on our values of freshness, quality and friendly service. Nothing makes us happier than making our customers happy, and they rate us 4.9/5!”
Top quality meat from farm to fridge
To order: see their website: http://www.falleninchfarm.co.uk/
Like them on Facebook for prizes and offers: https://www.facebook.com/falleninchfarm
All photos by kind permission of Falleninch Farm.