We never compromise on quality, and this is never more evident than when sourcing our meat.
Only the best producers qualify to supply our meat and the welfare of their animals must be paramount as this yields the most tender and flavoursome meat - something that our buyers have an expert eye for.
We have spent a long time finding the perfect suppliers for you all for our chicken, beef, pork and lamb. Our two main factors when choosing a supplier are location and quality. They have to be local to us and produce their meat to the highest quality and standard. After a lot of searching, boy did we deliver!
All of our chicken is sourced from Frank Bird Poultry. Founded in the 1950s by Frank Bird in Langwathby, Cumbria, Frank Bird Poultry started as a local chicken supplier in the north of England. With growing demand, the business expanded, and Frank's sons, Paul and Mark, became integral to its success. Paul handled sales, while Mark focused on the farm side. Today, based in Langwathby, the company continues to invest in processing and infrastructure, ensuring efficiency and maintaining high standards. BRC and Red Tractor approved, with certified Halal products, the company owns six poultry farms and collaborates with independent growers to meet market demands.
Frank Bird Poultry, known for supreme quality, offers nationwide deliveries with its own refrigerated fleet, ensuring freshness. With over 200 dedicated employees, from caring for live birds to meticulous processing, the company remains a leading name in the industry, delivering top-quality products to tables across the UK.
All of our beef and Lamb comes from Thompsons Wholesale Meat who specially select locally sourced farmers to ensure the very best quality. They have worked hard to develop strong, long-standing ties with a number of local farms, as well as buying direct from livestock markets in the North East and North Yorkshire.
At Aldersons we share the passion for locally sourced, high quality meat that Thompsons Wholesale Meat does and for beef and lamb that comes from Ken Coatsworth’s first-class beef and lamb from West Rackwood Farm, Hamsterley.
Ken is somewhat of an expert when it comes to producing excellent British Beef and Lamb through careful rearing on his farm less than 5 miles away from the shop! Ken's grass-fed beef herd, primarily Limousin with Belgian Blue and Charolais, focuses on heifers for better-tasting meat with optimal marbling, fat cover, and customer-friendly cut sizes.
He also manages a herd of traditional Mule ewes crossed with Suffolk Tups, producing exceptional lambs. Ken prioritises the well-being of his animals, maintaining a high-quality operation with impressive livestock and a meticulously kept farm.
All of our Pork also comes from Thompsons Wholesale Meat who only use locally sourced, hand selected farmers to ensure the best quality. They have worked hard to develop strong, long-standing ties with a number of local farms, as well as buying direct from livestock markets in the North East and North Yorkshire.
When choosing our suppliers, we worked hard to find the best possible farms that were local to us. When searching for a Pork supplier we were looking for succulent meat bursting with flavour so when we heard Thompsons use Mark Bradleys rare breed Welsh pigs from Hamsterley Forest, we were over the moon! Mark farms the largest herd of pedigree Welsh sows in the country
These once-endangered Welsh sows are now highly sought after for their exceptional meat quality and well-balanced meat-to-fat distribution, making them a butchers favourite. The long standing relationship between Thompsons and Bradleys spans three generations, with Thompsons being key suppliers. Many customers specifically request pork from Mark's pigs.
Mark's breeding program involves crossing his Welsh sows with a commercial male line, resulting in offspring that maintain the placid temperament of the Welsh breed. The pigs are raised in a stress-free environment, eliminating the need for teeth clipping or tail docking. The Welsh sows also exhibit excellent mothering qualities, and promises that they seem to enjoy listening to Radio 2.
Mark ensures the quality of his pigs' meat by providing them with a high-quality diet, in contrast to the prevalent "least-cost" approach adopted by many. William Thompson of York supplies the feed, known for their innovative approach and use of quality raw materials in feed formulation. In a market where minimal feed standards are often applied, Mark takes pride in being able to disclose the ingredients that make up his pigs' diet.
I’m sure you’ll agree with us when we say Mark's pigs are some of the best Pork you’ve ever tasted!
We are members of the National Federation of Meat & Food Traders and the Eblex Quality Standard Scheme. Being memebrs of both organisations gives us the accreditation of being artisan and skilled specialists in our trade. They provide a guarantee of assurance, encompassing food safety, animal welfare and care for the environment in everything we do.
The Quality Standard Mark Scheme for beef and lamb provides one of the highest levels of independently-inspected quality assurance for meat in the United Kingdom. Equivalent to the Red Tractor Scheme, the standards contain combined guarantees of food safety, animal welfare and care for the environment but additional requirements also
All our sausages are made by us on the premises. We have 12 varieties including Gluten free. 3 of our sausages are made to the original recipe of the company founder Mr W Alderson.
We also make all our own burgers on the premises, we have 10 flavours including Gluten free.
