Hereford steak Q&A with Anthony Legge

Whether Saturday night is steak night at home, or sometimes you’re just in the mood for a mid-week steak and chips meal, you’re not alone!

Recent studies reveal that both ribeye steak and chips are among the Top 10 most popular British dishes…

So when it comes to selecting your steak, what approach do you take? Are you too partial to reaching for a ribeye, or do you prefer an alternative? Don’t forget that this trusty Legges Steak Guide is always on hand if you’d like to compare cuts, such as ribeye steak, sirloin steak, rump steak, fillet steak and the mighty Tomahawk!

Although our offerings have naturally evolved and expanded here at Legges of Bromyard, you may or may not know we began solely as a butcher’s shop. Our owner, Anthony Legge, was the fourth generation to grow up on their family farm in Pencombe, Shortwood Farms, before taking over from a retiring butcher in Bromyard in 2000, and launching Legges.

Back to the beef – you’ll be pleased to hear you’ll only find locally-sourced beef behind our counters from neighbouring farms within a six-mile radius of our doorstep. In fact, throughout the year, we proudly stock native, pedigree Hereford beef from Anthony’s family farm, which his son, James, James’ partner, Ellie, and Anthony’s sister, Gina, have reintroduced and rear on a 100% pasture fed diet. Follow this link to learn more about Shortwood Farms and follow their sustainable, forward-thinking journey.

With many delicious cuts to choose from, we recently caught up with Anthony to answer your three most asked questions about beef steak:

Q1: What should I look out for in a great-tasting Herefordshire steak?

“A steak with fat – more fat; more flavour; better quality of animal. Don’t be shy of the fat, as that’s where all the fantastic flavour will come from when you tuck into it.

“Your Hereford steak will be tender, juicy, and it won’t let you down.”

Q2: Why does a butcher’s steak specifically taste so good?

“The cattle brought to us have been purposefully bred for you to purchase and enjoy their great taste. We take every bit of care we possibly can, from sourcing and hanging it correctly to preparing it respectfully and carefully.”

Q3: Why do you hang your meat for four weeks or more?

“Meat that’s hung on the bone for at least 28 days is more tender as it’s relaxed, allowing it to then set nicely and firm.

“Another reason why we do this is because of how the natural enzymes begin to break down in the meat, so it becomes much more flavoursome.”

If you live locally, or you’re visiting Herefordshire, remember that our team of experienced butchers are always here to chat with you about our meat – they’re proud to and love to!

Now more than ever, food traceability is of the highest importance and displaying only the finest quality grass fed beef, grass fed lamb, free range poultry, free range pork (– the list goes on!) will remain at the heart of our promise to you.